Next Thursday is one of my favorite holidays: Thanksgiving.
The day after has grown into some sort of quasi holiday. Black Friday has become a day for bargain hunting or a bleak reminder of the crass commercialization of Christmas. You make the call.
As Christmas edges ever nearer, it’s a good time to consider where and how we’re making our holiday purchases.
Often shoppers fall victim to the allure of larger towns thinking that the items they want can’t possibly be found at home.
It’s also easy to go online to shop.
There’s value in both of those methods. Everyone likes a trip out of town, and the internet is fun to explore.
In both cases, however, savvy shoppers should know what they’re getting into before they make their purchases.
The fact is that shopping out of town robs Brookings of the sales tax dollars it needs to maintain our infrastructure.
Much has been made about the new effort to collect the state’s sales tax on online sales. I wish the state well in its internet sales tax collection effort. However, until I start hearing about new taxes flowing into state coffers, I’ll be wary of calling that effort a success.
Even if the state effort garners previously unpaid sales taxes, shoppers should still consider the effects of their online purchases.
Chances are that few people in Brookings work for Amazon or Overstock.com. Local businesses provide jobs for our friends and neighbors.
It’s unlikely that eBay or Wayfair is going to donate to your next benefit auction or sponsor your daughter’s softball team. Local businesses do that all the time. They’re the first ones families in need call on for donations and, from the looks of the thank you ads in the Register, they come through generously time after time.
During the holidays, many of us will be shopping for just the right gift. If you can’t find what you want in Brookings, certainly you should go elsewhere. Not even the most fanatic shop-at-home booster would expect you to spend your money on something you don’t want.
Let’s just be sure, when it comes time to do your holiday shopping and throughout the year, that you’ve given local merchants the opportunity to serve you. It’s an opportunity they deserve.
Billy McMacken is the publisher of The Brookings Register. Anyone who wants a copy of his Christmas list can email him at bmcmacken@brookingsregister.com.
