Pretend gasoline is still $4 a gallon when you do your Christmas shopping this year. Stay close to home, spend conservatively and shop in Rowan County.

Local stores need your business. Local governments and schools need the sales tax revenue. Saving a few dollars on gasoline is never a bad idea.

It happens every year — the Christmas rush. Many people carry long lists to the megamalls in Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Greensboro to get all their shopping done in one place, or so they think. It seldom works out that way, though, so they return home tired, frustrated and with less fuel in the tank. Something is wrong with this picture.

Turnover has taken place in the local retail scene, with some stores closing and others opening — a never-ending process in that business. Perhaps the increase in big box stores like the new Kohl's on Julian Road may help keep more shoppers in town. But chains don't tell the whole story. Locally owned businesses that are unique to Salisbury and Rowan County may offer more than shoppers with the big-mall habit may realize.

Christmas is just part of Salisbury-Rowan's retail sales picture. Year-round, local stores' biggest competition seems to be beyond the county line. In the decade ending in 2007, Rowan had fallen from 20th to 28th in retail sales among North Carolina counties, while statewide retail sales rose 42.5 percent and sales rose 114 percent in Cabarrus and 82 percent in Iredell. That's a reflection of those counties' proximity to Charlotte and their greater retail offerings. Concord Mills in Cabarrus is something of a phenomenon, ranking high as a tourism destination. The higher retail growth in other counties also reflects higher income levels, though, and it would take more than a bigger mall to help Rowan achieve that. In the chicken-or-egg debate about retail — which comes first, the higher incomes or the increased shopping options — there's little doubt that higher incomes must come first. Retailers do their homework before moving into a new market, and they look closely at incomes and where local residents spend their money.

You may not be able to do anything about your income level, but the shopping destinations you choose are completely under your control. For economic, environmental and time-management reasons — all very powerful motivations — it makes sense to do as much shopping close to home as possible. Avoid wear and tear on your car, the roads and yourself, and support the local economy in the process. Make Christmas merry for your family and for local merchants.

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