Shop local to support your community

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas Holidays are upon on us.

In just a few days shoppers will be out on that day that has become known as Black Friday. The local merchants will be offering specials that some of us just can't resist. My family always looks forward to it.

Then there is that day that has become known as Cyber Monday. This is the day that you can get online and shop for just about anything you would ever want. You can sit in the comfort of your home on your couch or recliner and never brave the crowds of people or weather and then it's delivered to your door.

That all sounds nice. But what does it do to your local community?

First and foremost it decreases sales for your local merchants, not only the big-box stores but your mom-and-pop stores which are getting fewer and fewer.

The local merchants are the ones that provide thousands of jobs to your friends and neighbors and possibly even you. They pay for gas and electric to keep their stores cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They sponsor baseball, basketball, football and soccer teams for your children every year. Who of you out there has a son or daughter who has played on the Amazon Baseball Team? No One. Because they do not support our community.

Just last month Sears announced they were filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Sears started as a catalog business similar to today's internet sales. I just read an article about when Sears started back in 1893 some merchants across the United States had Sears Catalog burnings because they hurt their businesses. Ironic that in the end online sales is what destroyed Sears.

Online sales are eating away at our local merchants, it's getting harder and harder for them to stay open. Think what Poplar Bluff would look like if the retail stores were no longer here, Westwood Blvd. would look like a ghost town.

I know that by reading this people are not going to stop shopping at Amazon or other online merchants. I shop there myself several times a year. But what I do is find out if I can purchase it locally, if I can't, then I will purchase it online.

The city and the county rely on sales tax to operate this community. The more sales tax we receive the more we can do for the citizens. Less sales tax creates employee layoffs and reduction in services.

Forty-five percent of the city's general fund revenues comes from sales tax. These dollars are used to maintain the streets, provide police and fire protection and many other services.

When shopping not only for Christmas but all through the year, think of your community and your friends and neighbors that work in the local stores to provide a home for their families. Think what an investment the local merchants have in this community. Try your best to buy local before you get on the computer or phone and order something online.

This coming Friday (Black Friday) and all through the year get out and support Poplar Bluff and Butler County. Make this community thrive and make it become a better place to live.

-- Mark Massingham

City Manager

City of Poplar Bluff