Recognizing that we cannot always find everything we need or want in town, we should nevertheless strive to exhaust local options before resorting to shopping online or in the city.
Big box stores and digital marketplace behemoths such as Amazon or eBay should be at the bottom of our lists, not the top.
Sure, warehouse-sized stores have substantial bulk buying power that allows them to offer customers competitive prices.
But they also have — especially at this time of year — daunting, anxiety-inducing lineups and overcrowded and stressful parking lots. Often they'll also have swamped staff who do not always exude much holiday cheer who seem to almost sigh or roll their eyes at the sight of another customer to serve.
How many of us are altogether too familiar with the frustrating experience of fruitlessly searching a mammoth store’s seemingly endless aisles for someone — anyone — who could help find an item in an ocean of products?
That is in stark contrast to setting foot in a local business, where many people might well be on a first-name basis with the owners and their employees, who are never hard to find and eager to help.
Smaller businesses are often well aware that matching prices with major corporations simply is not generally feasible. So they seek to provide their customers with a more personable and satisfying experience.
We feel that spending a little bit more on an item is worthwhile if the additional expense not only saves us the stress of dealing with holiday crowds, but also leaves us feeling the satisfaction of doing business with someone who recognizes us and appreciates our patronage. Even if they don’t currently carry the stock that you need, they likely can order the item — just be mindful not to wait too long or it might not arrive in time.
Providing some additional incentive to shop local is this Friday’s annual family-friendly Sundown in Sundre.
The Sundre Pioneer Village Museum is hosting the cookie walk from 4 to 9 p.m., while over at the community centre there will be a multitude of activities including photos with Santa, Festival of Wreaths as well as a Christmas vendors' market from 5 to 9 p.m.
And just about everywhere in between, participating local businesses will be offering people special deals combined with extended holiday shopping hours.
So before anyone turns to Amazon or Walmart, we hope they will first be sure to see what Sundre has to offer.
Simon Ducatel is the Round Up’s editor.
