It depends on the product and store for me. I don't have anything against using chain stores. I grew up in a working class area and know lots of people who work at Walmart to pay their bills, and without it, in a small town like this, it would be even harder to find ANY job, though I realize that there are definitely better jobs and better companies. I also have paid my way through college and worked 3-4 jobs at a time to keep afloat, so price matters for me, and I don't have the class privilege to avoid Walmart at all costs.

However, if there is a choice between a chain and a local store and they cost about the same or the local store is closer, I will use the local one to help out a community person more directly. If I get a car radio from a local place rather than at Walmart, the person that installs it for me locally gets a couple hundred bucks, whereas my friend at Walmart or Best Buy or whatever would not benefit at all either way because they'll still get paid minimum wage.

No, not a big shopper especially if its crowded. Only go out to shop when I need to.

We do most of our shopping at local stores because they're all within walking distance. We've got a car, but we both prefer walking.

We're not big shoppers any more. Mostly just groceries and some small clothing purchases. We have all the appliances & electronics that we need.

I try to do local shops for smaller things, they tend to have better customer service.

sometimes. We have a great small grocery store, but of course I have to go to the chain one for everything they don't carry. I also go to a small pharmacy, and yarn shops!

I go where the price is good.

I go where I can get most of my groceries are in one place and that is usually WAngfujing or Shenhua. When it comes to fruits and veggies, I try to always hit up the local market as their stuff just seems so much more fresh- but when it comes to some of the more "exotic" fruits and veggies, I have to use Wangfujing or shenhua. We've a Walmart in town... but I've been in it two maybe three times in the past five years because the only imported stuff they have that I like is seriously overpriced avacodoes (I mean 22USD for one is just a little out of my price range).

I usually shop at my local Safeway and Albertsons, or at other chain supermarkets in neighboring cities within twenty minutes drive time.

When I go shopping, I go to the cheapest, which is usually a big chain.

depends if it is something high quality i go out of my way, but If i am just picking up kids cereal then I go for the big chains.

Where I live our local stores are actually a little cheaper than chain stores for groceries. We may not get the wide the selection that the big chains gives but we have found that quality and price is better at our local produce market and the butcher shop. We also have a local grocery store that in spite of it being situated in a way that you can be waiting for up to 15 minutes to get out of the parking lot because a busy highway it always packed.

I think out here it helps that a lot people know that these places take real good of their employees and that leads to a lot loyalty from customers. For example we have both a big chain grocery and a department store, yet their parking lots are nearly empty in comparison to the Mom and Pops. The service that one gets at the Mom and Pops here is excellent. Even our hardware store which might be a little more expensive than Lowes gets more customers than a Lowes in the next town over because you know damn well that if you go in looking for something that you will not only walk out with that item but only also the know how on how to install it or use it properly. Plus they will deliver the needed supplies right to your house at no extra charge if they have to order it in or if it is too large to fit in your vehicle.

Edit to add: Walmart actually thought of opening up a store but changed their minds because in the past almost every big chain that did open up ended up closing due to lack of customers. We have even had restaurants close because they couldn't compete with the Mom and Pops that we have.

Where I am, I would actually be going out of my way to shop at places like Walmart and the local chain grocery.

I buy most of my food, clothes, etc. in the local downtown shops.