Editorial: Shop locally. The pandemic has shown us what happens to stores and restaurants that don't get your support.
Think of how different the suburbs looked before the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you're like us, your shopping and dining habits have changed rather dramatically since we started masking up, huddling in our homes and getting familiar with the local Door Dash delivery people.
Yes, things are different compared to early 2020. COVID is still out there, but fewer of us - thanks to vaccines - are dying from it.
In many ways we've gotten back into the swing of living life in public again. Restaurants and stores are operating much like they did before the pandemic. But we bet some of your favorites are gone - those that didn't make it through a two-year stretch of business downturn despite finding innovative ways to connect with customers. Some of ours certainly have.
Do you go out to the movies as often as you did before? Not likely. Streaming services have developed in us permanent in-home viewing habits.
The shops and restaurants that did survive are hurting from a lack of employees to ring up your purchases or serve your food.
A popular sandwich shop in West Dundee is open only a few hours at lunchtime - and only on weekdays.
On previous Black Fridays we've encouraged you to remember the mom and pop stores when you head out for your holiday shopping.
Suburban downtowns are just aching for your disposable income this time of year. It's their lifeline.
We repeat that plea today.
But we also urge you to support the malls and big box stores.
While not all regional mall news is bad, it's been a yearslong uphill battle for many malls to get shoppers in the doors. COVID did mall shopping no favors.
Like those privately-owned restaurants you used to love, if malls don't maintain a customer base, they don't survive. Take a look at Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles, Stratford Square Mall in Bloomingdale and Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee and Carpentersville.
Would it be easy to spend an afternoon on Amazon.com, making your gift choices from an essentially unlimited supply of stuff and never lift more than a couple fingers to do so?
You bet. And the pandemic has made more of us creatures of that sort of shopping behavior.
But what does that do to help the local economy? What does that do to help the family down the block that owns shop or the people in your neighborhood who work in retail?
Absolutely nothing.
Your local business community is often the beating heart of your community, and for it to be there next Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, it needs your support, your investment in it, now.
So, go forth, be mindful of your health and that of others, find ways to show your loved ones you care and pick up a couple of bargains along the way.
Above all, shop locally.