Think twice before you click: Give the gift of local when shopping, say business groups

There may be good deals to be found when shopping online, but business groups are reminding consumers about the benefits of spending just down the street.

"You know when your TV breaks that you just bought, what are you going to do? Are you going to package it all up, ship it, hopefully you get a refund or a new product?" said Jim Parsons, chair of the Downtown Business Association in Corner Brook.

"It's a lot more convenient and a lot safer when you can just walk down the road and talk to someone."

A bus full of shoppers from Corner Brook departed for St. John's Friday to take advantage of Black Friday sales.

Parsons said he doesn't have a problem with that.

"I don't think it's a huge issue, I'm actually quite impressed ... with [BuckleCharters'] initiative, great creativity, they're a local business too so they're takingadvantage," said Parsons.

• How far would you go for a deal? Black Friday bus bringing bargain hunters to St. John's

"We're sure that those shoppers to town will have lots of moneyto come back and spend here indowntown."

Shopping local the real deal

Parsons said retailers are making adjustments to compete with online businesses, and by the time you take shipping and handling into account, there's often not much of a difference in price.

This week in St. John's, two mainstays of the downtown shopping scene announced they are closing, skateboarding store Ballistic, and home supplystore Templeton's, which has been in business for over a century.

• Templeton's closing after more than 150 years in downtown St. John's
• Ballistic latest business to close in downtown St. John's

"We're trying to get people to at least give a second thought to shopping locally before they click that mouse or scroll that screen on their smart device and do their purchasing," said Tony Martin, an executive member of the Exploits RegionalChamber of Commerce in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Martin said along with the convenience of dealing with exchanges and warranties, buying locally when possible benefits the entire community.

It's a lot more convenient and a lot safer when you can just walk down the road and talk to someone.- Jim Parsons, Corner Brook business group

"Businesses large and small, they both contribute ... through supporting youth programs, donations to various charities [and] contributing to the economy by hiring people to do the jobs to serve your needs locally."

Martin said the Exploits Valley Chamber of Commerce is developing a marketing campaign which includes access to a social media page where businesses can post about their "latest and greatest products."

He said it will be a place where the public can find information about special pricing and sales, and see what's new in the community.