Shoppers descended upon stores Friday, traditionally the busiestday of the year for retailers and merchants.

As they go forward toward Christmas, we hope shoppers willconsider making their purchases in southwest Mississippi. If theydo, there is a cornucopia of benefits for area communities andresidents alike.

For communities, sales generate tax dollars to help pay forvaluable city services such as police and fire protection andstreet maintenance. Without sales tax – often a community’s largestsource of revenue – money for those activities would have to comefrom others sources like higher property taxes.

For residents, shopping provides the good feeling of supportingtheir friends and neighbors by doing business with them. Areamerchants ask for the opportunity to meet the needs of theircustomers, and those businesses deserve that chance.

Furthermore, southwest Mississippi communities have relatively lesstraffic than larger areas. In Jackson, Hattiesburg and other largercities, shoppers likely will have to deal with the headaches ofroad construction, traffic delays and other gridlock.

Shopping at home during the holidays can set a course towardeveryone having a positive and prosperous new year.