Christmas is a time of goodwill and fellowship in our local communities and Member for Frome Geoff Brock is keen to encourage residents in his electorate to take advantage of shopping locally for their festive needs.

“Mid North rural communities have been doing it tough and have faced many challenges recently,” Mr Brock said.

“I would encourage everyone to think about doing their Christmas and general holiday shopping locally, to keep funds circulating in our local towns,” Mr Brock said.

“The increased use of online shopping and the lure of cheaper prices at megastores has had a huge impact on our local traders and it is time for us all to think about how we can make the coming holidays happy for everyone.”

Mr Brock said that shoppers who chose to spend locally for gifts and groceries would gain many benefits, including reduced fuel costs and the ability to see items first hand, rather than take a risk on taking delivery of goods sight unseen.

“If anything goes wrong it is much easier to take back items for return or replacement when they’ve been purchased locally,” Mr Brock said.

“Shopping locally is a wonderful experience – you meet people in the street who you know, you interact with retail staff who are friendly and knowledgeable, and you are not exhausted at the end of the day by travelling.

“Local businesses also support local clubs, charities and organisations with donations, so shopping with them helps them continue with this generous support.

“Best of all, money spent locally circulates locally, keeping the economy buoyant, helping to create jobs for our school leavers and others.

“We have seen recent the closure of many small businesses in our regional communities, which is a worrying trend, and I urge everyone to think about shopping locally – so everyone can enjoy Christmas.”