Christmas is just around the corner, and that means that before long many of us will be seeking the perfect gift to give our loved ones. It’s no secret that many have a love-hate relationship with holiday shopping; we love the excited reactions from our friends and family as they unbox what they’ve been wishing for all year, yet we dread the idea of hunting down what feels like an impossible list of items. This feeling of anxiety, paired with all things 2020, is causing many people to give up on the in-person shopping completely, in favor of finding everything they need online. While this may seem like the best way to check off our holiday to-do lists, we might suggest a third, better option: mask up and shop locally this holiday season.

By shopping locally, we don’t mean going to your local Best Buy on Black Friday and getting stuck in line for hours. We mean taking a trip down Main Street and discovering all of the unique local offerings your city has to offer. You might be surprised to find just how many ways you’re benefiting your community by doing so!

Here are our top 5 reasons to shop local this holiday season:

1. By shopping local you are helping to create more jobs in your community.

When you shop local, you’re helping to support your local community members. You might be surprised to find out that for every $10 million spent at local businesses, 57 jobs are created. What’s even more surprising is that same $10 million spent on Amazon only creates 14 jobs.

2. Shopping local strengthens your network.

Local business come equipped with local experts, ready to help you get the most out of your purchases. By shopping locally, you’re able to build a relationship that may prove to be incredibly valuable down the road. Who else will you call when you need to know how to put together that thing you just bought?

3. Shopping local is better for the environment.

We tend to forget about the real world ramifications of ordering something online and having it arrive the next day. This hyper focus on efficiency requires lots and lots of energy, and that means less sustainable solutions. Think about how much fuel it takes to power the planes to get your new hair dryer to you tomorrow. That can all be saved by choosing to shop local.

4. Shopping local supports nonprofits & other community programs.

Studies show that nonprofit organizations receive 250% more support from small business owners than large businesses. The same can be said for community programs. Amazon certainly is convenient, but they’re definitely not sponsoring your son’s rec baseball league anytime soon.

5. Shopping local increases real estate values.

This might sound crazy, but shopping on Main Street can actually boost your home’s value. Neighborhoods near thriving small businesses see a 50% increase a value comparative to those without successful small businesses nearby. By choosing to shop local, you’re helping yourself and your community!