Buying Local is all over the news at the moment.
There are programs on it, articles written about it and many, many celebrities endorsing it.
People have excuses as to why they don't shop local: It's more expensive or they don't have the time to shop around.
Well things are changing. I do it but why should you?

I have fond memories of shopping with my mother on a Saturday when I was young.
We'd walk the mile or so into the town centre pulling our shopping cart behind us and when we got there we would go to the small supermarket, then visit the butcher, the greengrocer on the market, Woolworths (for pick-and-mix) and lastly we would stop in at the bakery.
This was the highlight of the morning, picking up a freshly baked loaf and a couple of sausage rolls, still hot from the oven. We would then walk home happy and in anticipation of devouring our sausage rolls as our Saturday morning treat.
That was then and what great memories they still are.

Sadly that kind of shopping doesn't happen a lot anymore. 
Cars became affordable and so the walking part stopped. Supermarkets got bigger, carried more stock, were cheaper and became the one-stop-shop for nearly everyone. The internet made things "accessible" and time became a commodity.

Today, visits to town centre's have all but stopped as now the supermarkets are even bigger and carry just about everything you ever thought you'd need and then some.
The decline in high-street small businesses due to low traffic has been well documented and a push has started through media and other avenues to re-grow our community spirit and support local businesses.

When I moved to France I was of the one-stop-shop mind. 
Coming from Canada, at least where I lived at the time, there wasn't much choice in terms of where one purchased one's produce.
That type of shopping is available in France but it isn't readily used for all aspects of shopping.  

Love 'em or hate 'em, the French like good food and they don't suffer bad produce lightly.
They like to poke, prod and smell their produce. They like to have a conversation (often for a long time while others wait behind) with the seller about the price, the product or just the weather.
Of course it wouldn't be France if they didn't shrug their shoulders and complain that something wasn't right before heading off in the direction of their next prey.

To shop in France is an art form. Market day is a popular day with the best butchers, fish mongers and greengrocers having the longest line ups.
Many shoppers will jump in their car and drive a fair distance to find what they perceive to be the best.
To even think about buying meat from a supermarket will result in a disapproving shake of the head from most and everyone has a beaten up old woven shopping bag that they carry with pride.

Originally I went to the market because it was France and that was what one did. I bought a beautiful shopping bag that I strategically placed bought items in, baguette peeking out the top and the green stalks of a leek standing up along side.
Oh it was very French. Then i'd go to the supermarket and buy my weekly groceries!  

Thing is, now that i've been here a while, I get it.
Don't get me wrong, the produce from the supermarket is great but the taste of the produce from individual sellers plus the ambience and hands on approach takes the other stuff to a different level.

Maybe it's because I live in a small village where a lot of people raise animals and grow veg to sell at the local market. It's their livelihood, they won't be millionaires but they smile and welcome me (sometimes) when I go to their stall. 
I feel like i'm supporting them and I feel proud of that. It's important to help others who are just trying to do their best to earn a living and also I know where everything comes from.