Southern Utah is Counting on YOU on Black Friday and Cyber-Monday

If you look closely down there across the valley, you will see your neighbors, your family and friends at retail stores lining almost every street.  The reason we're looking at them today is to remind everyone to shop where it benefits those same people.  Lots of people like to shop on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all sorts of special shopping occasions.  My hope is that we all find a way to shop LOCAL.

You may wonder how you can do that on Cyber Monday.  It may come as a surprise to you but Amazon isn't the only place to buy things when shopping online.  A while back, while killing time waiting for my car to fill up with overpriced gas, I noticed a sign on the top of the pump asking, "Have you been to our website?"   No. I didn't know the gas station had a website and I also wondered WHY a gas station would have a website.  But it occurred to me, lots of local business have websites.

I was stunned to find out Amazon makes $1.2 billion dollars every day or roughly $14,900 per second.  My skin crawls when I think of all that money leaving here and landing on that pile.  Sure, it's fun to shop online but maybe you could do some window-shopping THERE and then stop before you BUY and do a quick search to see if that same thing is available HERE.  I know we all worry about Jeff Bezos of Amazon but I'm told, "He'll be OK".  Maybe we should all take a minute to remember those days when you tried things on, held the leaf blower in your hand, looked closely at how things were made and didn't have to ship something back if you found out later it wasn't for you.

I've never owned my own business but I feel for those who do.  Amazon won't miss you but the local shops who appreciate your business will be glad to see you.