While many smart shoppers will take advantage of deep discounts at local big box stores, please spare a thought for our locally owned stores.

You may know by now the oft-cited statistics that show how money spent locally stays local longer and while that is a fine and good reason to spend locally, there are other reasons to spend at locally owned stores that may even matter more to you.

Consider downtown.

There was a time when shoppers all across America went to their town’s downtown area to buy just about whatever they needed. Then, in the 1960s and 1970s, as people moved to the suburbs and malls consolidated shops to one big, self-contained location, some downtowns died.

As the downtowns died, crimes like vandalism went up and the empty buildings became eyesores and within a few years, they were unusable. Then the neighborhoods around the downtown began to deteriorate—who wants to live near a dying downtown?

This is the value of local stores. They pay taxes and keep your money local, but they can keep neighborhoods looking nice and home values stable. They are as much a part of the community as your neighbor.

So, while you’re getting saving money on electronics and gadgets, do not forget Small Business Saturday. You may be surprised at the things you’ll find at your neighborhood shop.