A whopping 122.7 million Americans took advantage of Black Friday deals going on in stores last year, according to Wallet Hub.  Black Friday sales started in October with many national retailers and you will undoubtedly be bombarded with ads on social media for multiple Black Friday Sales that are going on today, but area retailers are reminding Christmas shoppers that it is important to shop locally.

Downtown Summerville merchants are hoping to capture some of those holiday dollars that will be spent today on Black Friday and tomorrow on Small Business Saturday.

So what’s the difference in shopping online or shopping with big-box retailers instead of local retailers?  The biggest difference is how much of the dollars you spend are returned to the local economy.  American Express says that when you spend a dollar with a local merchant – 80 cents of that dollar goes back into the local economy.

Not to mention the personalized service that you will get when you shop with an independent retailer.

This year, make it a point to spend at least a portion of your holiday dollars with local, independently-owned businesses in our community.