Lakeshore Chamber

News

Buy local and support the merchants who support your community

Did you ever stop to think how dollars spent with local merchants circulate 6-7 times, and conversely how your shopping dollars spent on the internet do not circulate at all?

Or, to put it more directly, the last time you clicked on your "mouse" to finalize that holiday purchase, did you ever think how hollow the shopping experience was? Of course, you did not have to fight the long lines at your favorite department store, but you did miss the camaraderie with your local merchant.

For those in the retail business, the holiday season is regarded as the most important time of the year. Some merchants will even do as much as 50-70 percent of their annual sales in the three months leading up to Christmas.

The "Buy Local" program in Lake and Porter counties is totally supported with marketing dollars from your local chambers of commerce, and its success depends upon you to support your local merchants.

This season, be a little creative with your purchases by foregoing that trip out of town to buy Dad that special gift that he never wanted; instead, buy him a gift certificate for 12 car washes at a local detail shop, or a round of golf at one of our many beautiful golf courses; or a gift certificate from one of our local retail stores.

The same goes for Mom – buy her a day at the local spa, or gift certificates for jewelry or a haircut from a local merchant.

I was traveling down Hohman Avenue recently and saw a local merchant putting up her Christmas tree outside her business during a cold, blustery snowstorm. Why, you ask, would she be doing this in such nasty weather?

The answer is simple, to attract you to her place of business. I then thought of this local retail merchant, and how she is active not only with her business, but also sponsors local sports teams and charitable events, holds memberships in local organizations, and pays taxes to help make her community a stronger place to live, work and play.

So, the next time you are warming up your fingers to tackle that "mouse," think of the local merchant you saw putting up her Christmas tree in a nasty snowstorm, who spends her dollars locally, who supports your kid's baseball team with her hard-earned dollars, who sits next to you in church, and then ask yourself – do I really want to send my hard-earned dollars into space and never see a return on my investment?

Let’s BUY LOCAL, and keep our communities unique and prosperous!