There are lots of reasons to support local home-grown businesses. The first consideration, of course, is that local independents give you better service. They bring more knowledge and passion to the job than the big box stores, because locals know their community better than distant corporate executives.

But shopping locally goes even deeper than that. Supporting independent businesses means more jobs in your community, more community bang for the buck.  Fireside Books does not have a tax shelter in Bermuda. Here's an article from New Rules about the tax implications of shopping at the big box stores.