Shopping locally

It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving dinner has barely cleared the plates before throngs of shoppers will be heading to big-box retailers in search of bargains. Others will be scanning online giants for savings on Cyber Monday.

But while Black Friday and Cyber Monday get all the press, Small Business Saturday, scheduled for Nov. 29 this year, is a relatively new event worthy of more attention.

The idea behind Small Business Saturday is to encourage folks to think about the smaller, locally-owned retailers when it comes to holiday shopping.

In our region, many creative local retailers offer one-of-a-kind gifts and products that simply aren’t available at major retail outfits. To find out more on that, check out the story in our North Country Christmas magazine, which is included with this week’s issue of the Timberjay. There you can read about some of the great locally-made items that could make unique gifts this holiday season. The fact that many of these gifts are produced locally further enhances the economic benefits of shopping locally.

It’s all about being more deliberate about our shopping decisions— and understanding that those decisions have important repercussions beyond just our personal finances. When it comes to our local economy, what goes around comes around.

Our local shop owners depend on us and our dollars to survive in an increasingly cutthroat retail environment, just as we depend on them to maintain the vitality of our main streets. These businesses form the backbone of our tiny communities. They provide jobs, comprise much of our local tax base, and contribute to the community through their dues in local chambers of commerce or contributions to local organizations.

We know the lure of big bargains will have many heading to a big-box store over the next few weeks. But remember to include your local shops and stores as stops to make in your holiday shopping trips. The dollars spent at home have more impact than you might think.