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It's Small Business Saturday and the spotlight is on your neighbors and friends who stand behind the counter at your local retail store.
Local businesses are far more important than you think.
Not only do they enhance your own quality of life, but they add vibrancy to your community.
When you shop at independent or local-to-you businesses, more money is kept within your community because local businesses often use or buy from local service providers, farms and companies. Buying locally helps grow other businesses as well as your region's tax base.
Taxes are paid locally, boosting the community's libraries, schools and infrastructure.
Local businesses are also more likely to donate to charities in the local community, helping make improvements that all can enjoy.
Shopping trends are showing that downtowns and commercial strip malls now rival big shopping malls.
We'd say that, in certain areas like ours, downtown or local shopping is the preferred method.
there has been an explosion of new businesses in Lock Haven and Bellefonte, for example.
Big shopping malls are not what they used to be.
To a large extent they've been displaced as shopping destinations by downtown and commercial district stores.
And, of course, online shopping.
Support your local community.
Shop local.