Editorial: Remember the value, joys of shopping locally for holidays

Wipe that cranberry sauce off your chin and find a way to propel yourself out of your easy chair. You have work to do today. It's Black Friday. Thanksgiving is all over but the leftovers, the Bears already have played two games this week. It's time to do what you've saved up all year for and try to make the holiday season happy for your relatives, your friends and yourself.

Oh, and the local economy, too.

So, go forth and shop.

Since you're already out of the easy chair, put down your phone, get dressed and actually visit some of the stores that your town relies on for sales tax revenue. Take with you the huge stack of sales inserts from Thursday's Daily Herald.

Cyber Monday is great, and if you know what you're looking for you'll likely find it online somewhere in the world.

But what of all of the mom-and-pop shops that also rely on a busy Thanksgiving-to-Christmas stretch to get out of the black for the year and live to fight another year?

What about supporting the big box stores in your area that, were it not for a steady stream of shoppers, might cease to provide you convenience, employ people in your town and generate sales and property tax revenues that sustain local government and services?

We celebrate Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Let's not forget the importance of those first two days.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses reported a year ago that after growing for several years, participation in Small Business Saturday dipped last year in overall sales and foot traffic at local stores.

About 108 million people spent $12.9 billion on the Saturday after Thanksgiving last year at independently owned businesses across the country. That's down from 112 million shoppers spending $15 billion the year before.

The 2017 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey reported that 43 percent of American adults either shopped or dined at locally owned places during that Saturday.

Sure, it's easy to find everything you think you want with the swipe of a finger. We can order up a family's worth of Christmas gifts while waiting in line at the car wash.

But imagine all of the things you'll miss by not visiting a store. Think of the artist who makes and sells her own wares.

Think of the person who rings up your purchase - and how your visiting them helps sustain them. Think of the joy you get yourself as you share the experience of giving with like-minded givers experiencing the spirit of the holidays along with you.

So get out if you can and visit stores in your town. By doing so, you'll contribute to your community.

After all, you're going to need to do something to work off that Thanksgiving dinner and all the leftovers.