Show t 11 i i 1 iii 11 i 1 1 i 1 j It ft Seems To M MUy MeUy Me Uy J Joseph seph B. B Roberts Roberta m jj Shop at home COPYRIGHT 1976 Contemporary Features Syndicate Inc There is a compelling need for Cor shoppers to patronize their local merch merchants this Christmas s season That need is to save fuel Cuel Indications are that this is going to be a long cold winter and before spring thaw we may maybe maybe maybe be very thankful for every gallon of oC gasoline we have saved No doubt we can save several hundred thousand gallons of gasoline if we will drive to our local business districts or shopping center rather than the big cities to do our Christmas shopping It doesn't take ta a mathematician to figure out the savings in fuel if we drive five or ten miles around town rather than 40 or 50 miles to Metropolis It really isn't a great sacrifice to shop at home To the contrary contrary contrary con con- you cost conscious buyers and that tha t should include most of us in today's inflationary inflationary inflationary in in- market may be pleasantly surprised Most merchants in the small and medium sized towns are aggressive competitive businessmen They are willing and usually able to provide a good selection of gift items at prices competitive with the big city stores because of their comparatively speaking low overhead they are sometimes able to sell f for oress Jess and usually the quality of the merchandise they sell is as good as or better than the quality found in Big Town There are other advantages in shopping at home Parking for Cor example is usually less of ofa a hassle and so is traffic Then too people are generally friendlier and the sales people are more considerate in your own town The old spirit of Christmas is more likely to be encountered in that little gift shop down the street than it is in some mammoth department store Do you remember when Christmas shopping was fun k Wel might be fun again in yo your r fw s v Then there are the advantages advantages ad ad- v vantages of oC getting prompt delivery of items that are too large to fit in your car and the quick and courteous service you can expect from front a dealer who may be your next door neighbor or a member r of your church or club There is too the inevitable exchanging of gifts after Christmas Isn't it much more convenient to take a gift back to toa toa toa a store that Is only a few blocks from your home than to have to drive 40 or 50 miles mUes stand inline Inline in inline line argue with a clerk because you dont don't have the sales slip who includes sales slips in a Christmas gift I I and then drive 40 or 50 miles back For those dedicated city shop shoppers op emirs ers who are arc still not nc Jl me me 5 a l Tev W- W economic facts Money spent at home tome helps the buyer as well as the seller The taxes paid by the merchants as well as the city sales tax go to support those essential services that provide protection and comfort to all citizens The local merchants too provide jobs for people in town It is said that a dollar spent locally may change hands hanm three times before it leaves the area Each time it changes hands hanm it pr provides vId s' s income for forthe forthe forthe the community Also the money spent by local businessmen in advertising rent insurance transportation license fees and other such costs flows into the local economy In short it is just good business to shop at home Lets Let's hope this years year's Christmas sales will equal or exceed last years year's years year's we are badly in need of the boost to our economy and that most of those sales will be made by our own town home merchants It stands to reason that if we shop at home this year we will save on fuel and contribute to the prosperity of our own community com com- Those are excellent Christmas gifts we can give ourselves |