Editorial

Black Friday marks only the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. While many have already been out for hours searching down the best early-season deals, there remains much shopping to be done. Make it a point, this year, to keep the search local.

Austin and the rest of Mower County are fortunate to have many great shopping opportunities. Ranging from the giant, national retailers who have outlets here to the smallest specialty shops, there’s a huge variety to choose from. As good as the shopping opportunities are here, though, there’s always a tendency to assume there’s something better somewhere else, either on-line or in bigger cities. Sometimes it’s true. But more often than not, the same items and services are available right here at home.

Beyond the convenience of shopping locally, there’s a huge benefit to the entire community to keeping business local. It’s local stores and service companies that provide jobs to many area residents, and those jobs mean more dollars circulating locally.

Before shopping out of town — whether by car or by computer — make sure to check for what you want here first.