Keep local shops in mind for the holidays

Glen Ellyn's beauty and charm is taken for granted. With the holiday season Just around the corner, local businesses are suffering at the hand of the large chain stores that have the advantage of low prices and sales.

Small business can rarely compete with the low prices and variety of options a chain can provide, but large stores are not perfect themselves. With endless isles of "stuff" comes a lack of attention.

"One of the biggest advantages they have over large retailers is the ability to provide more personable, hands-on, and memorable customer service," Colleen Corkery, an author from the fivestars blog says.

I am not alone with my concerns for the independent shops. The Shop Small Movement's website concurs, "In 2017, an estimated 108 million consumers reported shopping or dining at local independently owned businesses on Small Business Saturday - generating roughly $12 billion in reported spend."

The Shop Small Movement is confident that "a visit to the family-owned framing shop or a stop at the neighborhood taco truck not only supports our local economies, it promotes more vibrant communities."

As any small-town resident can agree, local shops are the heart of a community. Not only do they contribute to a unique and vibrant culture, they make sure to make every customers experience special.

So this year while you are shopping for a holiday gift, stop by one of our local shops and contribute to the stores that make Glen Ellyn the special, beautiful, lively town it is.

Lilly Soane

Glen Ellyn