Shopping local businesses helps boost local economy

Stores are gearing up for the holiday season. While Friday is a big day for large stores, Saturday is known as a day to shop small businesses. There are many benefits to shopping local.

“Just the personal things,” Franki Browning, an employee of Lemon Meringue, said. “You’ll never find what we’ve got in a big box store. Never.”

Small businesses say their customer service is another bonus.

“Our customers are like family,” Lyn Pletscher, owner of Lyn’s, said. “We depend on them and they depend on us. They come to us every Christmas, or every holiday, for that gift that they want that’s special, that they know they can count on us for the quality.”

Helping out local businesses also means helping out the local economy.

“Well, it keeps the economy for the local people,” Browning said. “Everybody should shop local. It’s small businesses and the customer service is the best.”

Pletscher agrees.

“When you’re shopping small, in your downtown, you’re growing your town,” Pletscher said. “You’re making it more important, you’re making it more lively, you’re making it a more fun place to grow.”

There will be an open house for downtown Idaho Falls businesses on Sunday, December 3 and Monday, December 4. It will be a great opportunity to shop local and support downtown businesses.