Shopping small: Consumers say they'll spend more locally this year
With historic inflation, ongoing supply-chain issues and recession fears, shoppers this year are looking to buy local.
A recent QuickBooks survey found 80 percent of small businesses say this holiday season is more important to their overall financial picture than it was last year.
This year nearly 60 percent of Americans say they will shop Small Business Saturday -- more than the number of people who plan to shop on Black Friday -- according to a recent survey by Bankrate.com.
Economists say it means more holiday shoppers are warming up to the idea of investing in their local economy, as buying local is a great way to support entrepreneurs recovering from the lingering effects of the pandemic.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, when you support a local business, your spending benefits your city and neighborhood through sales tax, which is used to support public schools, parks, roads, and funds public service workers like police and firefighters.