Shop local: Think Main Street – not the mall – for holiday gifts

This holiday season, steer your car – or, better yet, your feet – toward your downtown shopping district to get those gifts.

Not only will you find more unique items than at the mall, you’ll be helping your community and neighbors thrive, saving on gas, and protecting the environment, Main Street business advocates say.

Support the community

Local business owners are a vital part of a community. They buy supplies locally, hire local services and employees, and donate a larger percentage of profits to local events and smaller organizations than box stores, said Lauren Adkins, director of field services at the National Trust Main Street Center. Owners sit on parent-teacher organizations, school boards and civic groups. A bonus: A vital downtown increases a home’s assessed value and resale price.

Save on gas

Your downtown shopping district is more centrally located and requires less gas to get to than driving to a mall, which typically is located on the outskirts of town, said Scott Testa, a business administration professor at Cabrini College in Pennsylvania who writes about retail.

http://www.enterprisenews.com/lifestyle/x1431153940/Shop-local-Think-Main-Street-not-the-mall-for-holiday-gifts

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