For holiday shopping, local businesses do it better

The holiday season is finally upon us and with it comes gift giving.

While plenty of people have gone out to pillage malls and department stores Black Friday, and ravaged the internet Cyber Monday, there are other sane people who still need to do their gift shopping.

This article is for those people.

Buying gifts isn’t always the easiest thing, but finding the perfect gift for a sibling, parent or friend is one of the most rewarding parts of the holidays.

Shopping local is not only a great way to find items that are unique and special for the person you’re buying for, it is also a great way to boost the economy.

According to businesswire.com, this year’s Small Business Saturday brought in more than $16 billion. Compare that to the $4.45 billion spent online on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to The Wall Street Journal.

If the average U.S. consumer spent more money at local retailers, that money would help boost the economy way more than shopping at Wal Mart and Target.

College students concerned with the rising cost of college and piles of loan debt should know a thing or two about sticking it to the man, and wanting to help the economy. So why not help a local business rise above the horrible economy?

As UK students, there are plenty of options to choose from — whether you’re walking, driving or looking online.

Morris Book Shop, Sqecial, Bluetique, Shop Local Kentucky, Kentucky for Kentucky, Black Swan Books, CD Central — there are dozens of stores. If you’re looking for something for your foodie friends, there are local coffee shops that sell their own coffee, tons of breweries and an amazing farmers’ market to check out.

You can find something for everyone on your list at the shops around UK’s campus and downtown. Don’t feel bad if you feel the need to get yourself something too, because local business does it better.