Make no mistake about it: It’s Christmas time in the city, and the inevitable panic is about to set in.

Panic when people, especially those who haven’t even contemplated shopping, realise it’s less than one month until the big day.

While most time will be spent thinking about what to buy our loved ones, it’s worth considering the question of where you will buy it as well.

For while no one likes crowded streets and shops that are hard to manoeuvre through, this Christmas the Central Western Daily asks that you consider doing precisely that.

Over the course of the past few years, we’ve seen a myriad of shops close in the city, most notably Summer Street’s Myer store, one of Orange’s flagship retail outlets.

In Saturday’s edition of the Central Western Daily there was a story about the possible loss of six more shops in the coming months and years.

There’s an easy solution. Put simply, we’ve got to use them or lose them.

Christmas is the busiest shopping period of the year, and it would be great to see as many present-buying dollars being injected into local businesses as possible.

There’s no denying that shopping online is easy. The convenience of clicking a few mouse buttons from the comfort of your own home or office is irrefutable.

But very little – if any – of that money finds its way into the pockets, purses and wallets of those we know and live with.

We shake our heads every time we hear of a business closing down, or when we see another empty retail premises appear in Summer Street, but there is something you can do about it.

Pick the time you venture into town. Park a couple of blocks away to avoid busy parking lots. Brave those crowds, and use your hard-earned money in a way that will bring benefits to the community you live in.

Shopping local sends a message that we want to see Orange residents thrive in their ventures.

Let’s show our friends and neighbours that we support them, and keep Orange’s economy alive in the process.