By Jill Turner
Little River Chamber of Commerce

For those in the retail business, the holiday season is regarded as being the most important time of the year. Some merchants will do as much as 70 percent of their business in the three months leading up to Christmas Day.

The “SHOP LITTLE RIVER COUNTY FIRST” campaign is even more important this time of year as our merchants try to attract holiday shoppers to shop at home first. Our goal is to keep local people at home and to attract visitors to our area in hopes of capturing some of the holiday spending.

It is the hope of the Little River Chamber of Commerce to appeal to the loyalty and good sense of our readers living in our county. Shopping at home first is good not only for the merchants, but for our entire county.

Yes, the lure of the big cities at Christmas is hard to ignore. We know that you will have to go out of town or look to the internet for some of your Christmas purchases. But first remember that CREATIVITY is key. Instead of buying Dad that wool vest, he may rather have a gift certificate for six car washes at a local detail shop or garage. Maybe Mom would love a LOCAL day at the spa, hair or nail salons, or a gift certificate from any of our retail stores. From lawn care to golf or piano lessons, there is something for everyone in our county. Call the Chamber for other ideas – we’ve got hundreds of them!

Think about this; every dollar you spend locally gets turned over at least five times in our county. For example, a company’s payroll will eventually support local churches, benefit charities, pay for school events/activities/college enrollment, fund county and city governments and provide investment money for growth.

Local businesses are often called on to sponsor local ball teams, charity benefits, memberships to local organizations, and a variety of other worthy causes. They do it, usually cheerfully, to help make our community a stronger place to live, work and play.

It is our civic duty to shop at home first for holiday gifts before going out of town or buying items off the internet. Our merchants live here, pay taxes to Little River County, and do so many things to support their customers. When we shop at home first, we are helping those who help us. Let’s get shopping!

10 Reasons to Shop Locally

1. Keep Your Dollars in Our LOCAL Economy

When you shop locally, you help create and maintain jobs, fund more services like education, health and safety services through taxes, invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development.

2. Your Community is YOUR Business

The well-being of our community benefits when you shop locally. Local businesses help to build strong communities, sustaining neighborhoods by contributing to local charities, sports teams, festivals, service clubs, school activities and the list goes on. How can you expect area businesses to support you, if you don’t support them?

3. Get BETTER Service

It is no secret that local people are caring, friendly people…your neighbors! Our area businesses take pride in hiring the right people who are passionate about their products and services. By shopping locally, we’re giving them the support they’ve earned!

4. LOTS of Great Products & Services

With so many great specialty shops, retail stores, markets, restaurants and service-related businesses in Little River County, the choices are endless.

5. Local Businesses NEED You

They purchased their stock six months ago hoping to sell it today, pay their employees, pay their taxes, donate to charity and hopefully pay themselves. None of that happens, however, unless you give them the opportunity to have your business!

6. Help CREATE Jobs and Opportunities for Growth

Supporting local businesses means you’re helping to secure jobs and opportunities for your neighbors and community…perhaps even employment for yourself or loved one.

7. Do the MATH!

Factor in fuel costs, meals or shipping fees, not to mention traffic congestion and road construction, long lines plus the stress and aggravation of driving in potentially inclement weather – then ask yourself – is it worth it?

8. Keep Our Community UNIQUE

Little River County has a variety of unique attractions including several museums and antique stores, a beautiful Courthouse lit with Christmas lights, Millwood Lake, camping, hunting and golf opportunities to name a few. The tourism sector benefits from this. When people travel, they seek out destinations that offer the sense of being someplace special. They spend money in our community for fuel, meals, lodging and retail.

9. Consider the ENVIRONMENT

Reduce your environmental footprint and save money at the same time. Shopping in Little River County means no need for long drives.

10. We LOVE our Community – Let’s Keep our Money Here

We encourage local prosperity by keeping our hard earned dollars in our local economy. Each dollar turns over five times and helps EVERYONE – including you!