Metaphorically speaking, the rural towns that make up north-central and northwest Illinois are pleading for all of us to turn off our computers, tablets, and smartphones this holiday shopping season.
As citizens of our communities, we play a very powerful role in whether our towns prosper or diminish. One of the worst things we can do is not support our local retail sector because we buy most gifts online.
This past week, Book World closed shops in DeKalb and Sterling. Just a few months ago, JC Penny closed their large store in Sterling. It’s becoming an unfortunate trend. The more we continue to buy online, the fewer dollars there are to go into our local shops. The holiday shopping season is the bread and butter for a retailer for an entire year.
When we buy locally, we increase sales tax revenue for our communities. This helps pay for public services and special projects. Shopping locally also keeps our friends and neighbors employed. These local retail employees in turn pay local taxes and spend more money locally. The ease of online buying, and maybe even getting a discount, is very tempting. But, we all need to look at the big picture this holiday season.
If more of us chose to keep our money in our own communities, the hopes that the retailers in our back yards will not leave increases substantially. Our shopping centers and downtowns are counting on us.
If we create a world of online shopping only, there would be no place for Santa to sit.
I’m Phillip LeFevre, and that’s my perspective.
