Shopping Locally for Holidays a Gift to Community

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The Anderson Observer, in partnership with Anderson County, wants you to shop locally this holiday season.

There are gifts for all ages right here in Anderson County, and more than 60 percent of money spent and locally owned businesses goes directly back into the community. Many franchises of chain stores owned by local citizens put about 16 percent of profits back into the community.

If every family in the Anderson County area spent just $10 a month with a locally-owned, independent business instead of a national chain, over $6.5 million would be directly returned to the Anderson community. This translates into better schools, better roads, more support for police, fire and rescue departments and stronger local economies.

Purchases made at locally owned businesses have both an immediate impact on the local economy, and a long-term benefit for the community.

Shopping for Christmas gifts at local stores keeps them open and thriving, allowing them to stock more products and draw increasingly larger crowds. Such success inspires more small business owners to open stores, cafes, yoga studios, and other local businesses. Such growth catches the eye of people who don’t live in town, and is an important element of economic development, spurring the growth of hotels, gas stations, and restaurants. Such growth contributes to a thriving community, more tax money is brought in, and everyone benefits.