You can shop in your underwear.
That’s the best reason I can think of for doing Christmas shopping online.
Shopping online is so easy, it is tempting to spend the holidays as an isolated biological unit clacking orders into a computer.
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But except for having to wear pants, there are so many more good reasons to shop at stores that physically exist in Oak Park.
Self-interest, for one reason. A portion of the money spent at Oak Park businesses comes back to the village from sales tax. This money helps pay for vital village services, police and fire protection and trash collection to name just a few beneficiaries of the money.
Oak Park business creates local jobs for local residents.
A healthy, thriving business community bespeaks a healthy, thriving community that attracts residents and yet more business.
Oak Park businesses are major contributors to local charities and community organizations, such as the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry and Housing Forward (Formerly West Suburban PADS) homeless shelter and youth sports, again, just to name a few.
Local stores almost always give better, more personalized service than does the often-not-human seller on the other end of your computer or phone. You can form a personal connection with a real, in-person Oak Park retailer.
Local merchants know their business and know the products they sell. A computer or a person talking to you from another country may not.
And don’t be so sure you can get the best price from some faraway, computerized retail behemoth. Local merchants very well may be able to compete on price because of lower overhead. And local merchants may have special items not stocked by major chains that concentrate on mass audience desires.
Maybe best of all, shopping in Oak Park is fun.
Oak Park merchants go out of their way to make the holiday season and Christmas shopping an enjoyable experience.
Oak Park offers scores of shops, restaurants, tourist attractions, lodgings and holiday events happening in Oak Park through the end of the year.
Oak Park invites you visit with Santa, enjoy warming food and drink and has many places to buy great gifts for friends and family.
Oak Park has on its holiday face. Join the fun.
Pull on those pants and start shopping – in Oak Park.
Paul Sassone is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.