Think big, shop small

In the midst of America’s holiday shopping season a relatively new promotion is gaining steam which makes both dollars and sense, especially for rural communities.
Shop small!
It’s a pretty simple concept with huge implications, especially in the midst of a global pandemic. The slogan was first introduced nationally in 2010 and is gaining momentum across the country each year. 
The premise is simple and the impact profound. Money spent in your hometown stays local, rolling through the economy between five and seven times. That’s a priceless return on investment that makes your buying decision far more valuable than the original purchase of goods or services.
With COVID-19 protocols now restricting or discouraging regional travel, there are two primary options for local shoppers. One is to log on and purchase your gifts online, which many will do to at least some extent, and the other is to spend more time and money in your hometown of Aurora.  
There are some tremendous values on display in local stores, with a wide variety of merchandise available and, notably, customer service you won’t find at the big box chains 20 miles away. There may be items on your list you can’t find in Aurora, but this year more than ever we could and should look to see what’s available, knowing that our individual buying decisions do make a difference. Another thing to consider is that when you shop local you get a direct payback in the form of community quality of life, which makes us all proud to call Aurora home.
The Aurora Chamber of Commerce has worked hard this year to create a feel-good hometown vibe. Come Home to Christmas was uniquely Aurora, a second-year holiday event now well on its way to becoming an annual tradition. Now it’s time for all of us to buy in to the community concept, quite literally, by supporting our local businesses.
Small businesses are the heartbeat of our community and quite frankly they need our support this year. They are the locally-owned ventures whose very presence makes a neighborhood, your neighborhood.
This holiday season, think big, shop small!
Kurt Johnson