By Gina Levine CNA | Business Manager
The holiday season has begun. That means holiday shopping is gearing up. As you look through these pages of CNews, it’s a sure thing you’ll find a service, event venue or a retailer that offers the perfect gift for even the most particular person on your gift list.
CNews relies on advertisers to pay the printing and postage costs that help us fulfill our mission to help build community among Concordians. I work with those advertisers, and I can assure you they’re a collection of nice and hardworking individuals and groups who are proud to serve you.
So please consider them in your holiday shopping. (And, when you visit them, please thank them for helping CNews pay its bills!)
Moreover, I encourage you to shop throughout the neighborhood this holiday season. It’s become easy to shop online and watch the packages arrive on the doorstep.
It’s more fun to shop Alberta, Dekum and Killingsworth streets and 42nd and 33rd avenues. We have countless artists, artisans and other makers here. Their one-of-a-kind items will surely please the people on your gift list. And you’ll have stories to tell your gift recipients about meeting those makers.
There are specialty shops that are mostly locally owned, along with chain stores and franchises managed by your neighbors. We are lucky enough to have many treasured stores to be found within walking distance: bike stores, print shops, pet supplies/boarding, specialty books, grocery stores, and even some of the non-browsing type businesses (e.g., high-end auto restoration, metal salvaging, business consulting, commercial bakeries, and health and wellness services).
Don’t forget the purveyors of food and beverages. They’ll restore you during your shopping. Most sell gift cards too – possibly the easiest means to check off a few entries on your gift list.
Then there’s the economy. The American Independent Business Alliance offers these among the benefits of spending locally:
- Each dollar you spend at independent businesses returns three times more money to your local economy than one spent at a chain, and nearly 50 times more than at online mega-retailers.
- Small businesses donate more than twice as much per sales dollar to local nonprofits, events and teams compared to big businesses.
- Local management of business means residents with roots in the community are involved in key development decisions that shape our lives and local environment. Shop Concordia!
Gina Levine is an Idaho native who moved to Portland 12 years ago and lives in Concordia with her hubs and three kiddos. She spends her free time volunteering at local schools and the CNA Social Committee. If you’d like to advertise in CNews, give her a ring at 503.891.7178. You’ll be happy you did.