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When it comes to holiday shopping, think local

Thanksgiving officially kicks off the holiday season, which runs through New Year’s Day.

The community will transition from turkeys and autumn colors to Christmas trees and red-and-green color schemes.

Of course, the holiday season brings good cheer, goodwill and the willingness to give to those less fortunate. Many people give to local charities to help needy people who don’t have the means to put food on their tables or even buy toys for their kids.

Of course, people also are on the lookout for toys, gadgets and other gifts to give to their own families or relatives.

Many people might not like the onslaught of marketing campaigns from retailers, but be that as it may, that’s a fact of the holiday season. After all, who wants to look at an empty space at the bottom of the tree come Christmas morning?

Black Friday, which in some cases starts Thanksgiving, kicks off the holiday consumer buying binge. People camp out in front of stores hours ahead of time to get good deals.

Whether they come away with a bargain, in a way, is not as important as spending their dollars at a local business.

There are plenty of stores in Marquette, Negaunee, Ishpeming and other towns and townships in which to shop. Some are big box stores, while others are more of the mom-and-pop variety.

Consumers might be on the lookout for a 56-inch screen television or a bottle of expensive perfume, or maybe just a handcrafted item from the Upper Peninsula.

Either way, it’s important for them to spend their money locally. Money spent in a community stays here and benefits area merchants if people shop during Christmastime at their stores instead of online or out-of-state.

Sure, some items they want or need might not be available locally, but there are plenty of unique gifts found in the stores along Washington Street, U.S. 41 and other streets.

So, this bears repeating: Support the community by keeping your holiday bucks local.

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