If there’s ever been a time to look locally for your holiday shopping purchases, this year seems to be it.
With the volatility of COVID-19 encouraging a stay-close-to-home vibe again and supply chain challenges playing havoc with the broader marketplace, a quick and easy trip to a village merchant to handpick a unique item for someone special is a pretty inviting option.
Hinsdale businesses offer a range of merchandise for the whole family — and extended family. Perhaps you’ve already learned that from this year’s edition of our gift guide series (find part two on Page 5).
Here are some more advantages to patronizing small businesses nearby:
• Cut your drive time by staying in town. Hinsdale’s central business district, and Grant and Gateway squares are just minutes away to accommodate a quick shopping trip when those free moments present themselves.
• Parking availability got a big boost with the addition of the downtown deck. It certainly beats circling the mall lot, then having to spend more energy hiking through the lot than you do hunting for gifts.
• Hinsdale merchants delight in serving their customers, eager to knowledgeably answer questions or offer suggestions, if needed. Plus if there’s cause to follow up, it’s reassuring to have that personal connection to expedite a solution.
• If you’ve got a little time, treat yourself to a service at one of the village’s spas or salons. Or enjoy a delicious meal with a special dining partner at one of the many and diverse eateries in town. Your psyche and/or your stomach will thank you.
• Your village relies on local sales tax and food and beverage tax revenue to operate its services, maintain the roads and sewer and water systems, and provide wonderful park facilities to enjoy. And it helps the local economy, too. Studies show that for every $100 spent locally, about $70 stays right at home.
• Retailers are also often Hinsdale area residents, and most depend on the weeks leading up to Christmas for a considerable portion of their annual sales. To have a vibrant local business community, we have to give them business. That, in turn, attracts patrons from outside the village who want to experience its charm and energy.
• Buying online has the danger of “Buyer Beware.” In-person shopping affords you the chance to see, touch, smell — even taste in some instances — before you buy.
• Local business owners are also typically local philanthropists, donating to nonprofits in different ways to furnish hope and joy for local residents.
• Small local businesses are the largest employers nationwide and are particularly great sources for young residents to get their first working experience close to home.
• Hinsdale’s historic downtown is a kind of open-air museum, filled with preserved, character-filled buildings that tell a story and welcome visitors to add to theirs.
So take in the lights, soak in the Christmas Walk tomorrow (see story on Page 17), bring the kids to see Santa and ride a horse-drawn wagon on Dec. 11 and 18, and make Hinsdale your shopping home for the holidays.
