Fight Recession:

Buy It Locally

The Valley News recently reported that retail sales nationwide this January were the worst in nearly 40 years.  Everyday the financial news seems to be more ominous than the day before. 

The price of gas and heating fuel is a killer. Every trip to the gas station sucks money out of your wallet like, well, like you had it.  And here in Vermont this harsh, cold winter and difficult commutes on icy hazardous roads have a lot of people tired and down right now.

Now I don’t believe all the doom and gloom means the end of life as we know it.  Yes times are tough in the economy, money is tight, and the housing market is a mess in many parts of the country. 

We all feel it, but the vast majority of us get up every day and go to work, pay the same bills, and don’t need to sell our house or our investment portfolio this week. 

I’ve talked with several local merchants who echo the concern relayed in the news story, sales are down.  So I urge you to save the gas, stay off of I-89 south, and shop locally.  It’s the green thing to do; it will save time and gas money, and the dollars spent in the community tend to stay in the community. 

The range of things that you can buy in the central Vermont area is amazing, and we are fortunate to have a vibrant downtown in Randolph.  Many Vermont communities don’t have this luxury.  It is the fabric of our lives yet we tend to take it for granted.  As a community and as consumers we need to support each other.  "Shop local" and sustain your neighbor, I’m sure they will return the favor.

Joe Boyd, President

Randolph Area Chamber

Of Commerce