Beyond the Headlines: Shop local to benefit economy

After the stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey and fixings, many begin to plan their annual shopping adventure known as Black Friday. People wake up obscenely early, or late, depending on who you are, to shop until you drop to get the good deals. Ironically, it’s the day after many of us across the country give thanks for what we already have.

In the spirit of the season, it’s easy to forget about the hidden gems in our community that could be a great outlet for your annual holiday spending spree – small businesses.

Granted, it’s easier to shop at the big box stores. It’s extremely hard to avoid it. I do it, you do it, we all do it. However, it doesn’t mean that locally owned and founded establishments couldn’t also be on the list to hit up. Most of the time these places have the most creative and fewer mass-produced items that are sure to please even the grumpiest of relatives.

Whether it’s on Black Friday, small business Saturday, cyber Monday or any day between now and Christmas or your celebrated holiday, you can make a difference in growing the backbone of the Maine economy. It’s important to remember that the individuals behind these storefronts and cashier counters are our neighbors, our friends, our family. They provide much-needed jobs in our area and contribute to our local economy.

You can go online and search for area businesses that are open on your chosen shopping day. The chamber of commerce has a wealth of resources and knowledge about what businesses will be open and have the good deals. Saco Spirit has compiled a list being shared on its Facebook page with shops in downtown Saco that plan to compete against the bigger stores in this festive jolt to our community and pocketbooks.

Together we can empower ourselves and those around us to shop and buy local. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well.

Justin Chenette is serving his second term as state representative for Saco District 15. Outside the Legislature, Chenette is the owner of Chenette Media LLC, a multimedia public relations company, and is the president/CEO of the Saco Bay Center of Civic Engagement, a 501c3 nonprofi t service organization. Follow updates at www.justinchenette.com, Facebook.com/JustinChenette, and Twitter.com/JustinChenette.