Small Business Saturday: How shopping local and shopping small builds community
Looking for something new and special this holiday season? Try something old and traditional. Shop at local small businesses! In the increasingly fast-paced, never-enough-time quest for convenience we may have given up a lot of the joy of the season to the dot-com world. Shopping local and small can be a rewarding alternative.
Some of my earliest happy memories were of family Christmas shopping trips walking the streets and visiting the shops — an immersion in an important part of the season. The sights, sounds and smells built holiday excitement, as did the hustle and bustle of mingling with other shoppers in the flurries. We found that holiday cheer was contagious and tried to do our part. At every stop we were greeted by clerks or owners who often knew us and maybe there was free hot chocolate and cookies on the counter. There was magic in the creak of an old shop floor and a personal connection over the counter. Mrs. Ging always had a box of animal crackers or a silver Franklin half dollar for me — a fortune to a kid in those days.
Local merchants went all out with great displays and it was very satisfying to not just see the new things out for the holidays, but to be able to touch them, try them on then and there, see how they fit and take a good look. When not sure about a gift, great advice and suggestions were there for the asking face to face, and from a knowledgeable person. Then, it was on to the next stop and maybe lunch or dinner out for an extra treat. We were always careful to put something in the kettle for the less fortunate, and to thank the volunteer bell ringers. We got home confident of having picked the right gifts at good prices and without having to worry about shipping losses and damage or finding an online purchase made from an ad wasn’t what we expected when it arrived at the door.
Shopping local and shopping small is also community building. Much of the money spent in small businesses stays local and helps build the economy. Thriving local shops and restaurants attract other businesses and amenities, create jobs and pay local taxes. Small business success enables and encourages the fix up and preservation of properties, spurs civic improvements and attracts arts and entertainment.
That is just the start of a positive ripple out effect that improves the community for all of us and for our visitors. So, for something new and special, try something old and traditional — shop local and small.
Nov. 30th is Small Business Saturday.