Buying local means our area can become a much larger tourist attraction by virtue of the character of our buildings, location, selection of unique businesses, and events held here. This means more visitors to our community and more tourist dollars being spent in our community. Also, many of our shops are unique and the service excellent!  Local shops sell a wide range of great products at affordable prices. Please consider hotel and dining experiences as a possible gift ideal also.  Many people get out of the habit of shopping locally and are then surprised by the range of products and gifts available.

Local shops value you more. Evidence from numerous surveys show people receive better customer care and service locally. These businesses survive by their reputation and repeat business which means you get a higher standard of service.

By supporting local businesses, it allows our area to be an incubator for new small businesses and entrepreneurs, the building blocks of a healthy and thriving economy. Every local retailer is one of our neighbors who has taken a risk to try to make our region a better, stronger place, boosting the economy and helping lift friends and neighbors into the middle class.

When we all look for ways to buy local, we send a message that we believe our community is worth investing in. We put our money into things we care about and we enjoy a better purchasing experience overall personally. Shopping and buying locally is a win-win for you, for small businesses, and for our community as a whole.

This shopping season is a critical mark for some of our small businesses, invest in your community, invest with businesses who are committed to our area, invest in your neighbors who own and work at our small businesses.