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• Pickner from Chamberlain also said service is a priority.
• "I have so many ladies who'll take stuff home and bring back what doesn't work," Pickner said. "You don't get that in the big stores."
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• At-home shoppers
• Many shoppers do make an effort to buy their Christmas gifts in their own communities.
• "I think it is important to shop locally," said Kelly Biberdorf of rural Clark. "Only if they don't have something I need will I have to go somewhere else."
• Biberdorf said she makes an effort to shop locally year-round, purchasing a gift for someone when she sees the perfect fit. "The trick is remembering where you stashed it when Christmastime comes," she said.
• Linda Kruthoff of Clark is another local shopper.
• "We have a lot available locally except for clothing items," she said. "Clothing is not available in our town. Bargains on items would be the only other reason I would shop out of town for a particular item."
• Retailers appreciate those efforts, and say even a small amount dedicated to local shopping matters.
• "There is certainly a group of people that are willing to give hometown merchants a chance and at least give us a piece of their business," Meyer from Britton said.
• Pickner said she's realistic about people shopping out of town. She knows people like to go out of town to shop and make a fun day of it.
• "I have some customers that are diehards that will not leave town and Christmas shop, and I love that. But I realistically know not everyone is like that," Pickner said. "I always tell people, if you can do 20 or 25 percent of your shopping locally … and that doesn't sound like a lot, that's a huge amount. The Main Street businesses would love that if everyone would just make a conscious effort to spend 25 percent of their Christmas budget locally … It would make a big difference."