When you live in a rural community in the least populated state in America, shopping options are sometimes limited. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find quality clothes, tools, home furnishings, vehicles, jewelry, electronics, agricultural supplies, gifts and other items at local businesses.

That’s why we encourage residents to shop locally first. Before driving across the border or shopping online, it’s worth checking out what’s available in Powell, Cody and surrounding communities.

Once again, we’re seeing an example of why it’s important to shop locally. The Merc, a community-owned retail store, is facing closure if sales don’t pick up soon. The downtown store almost closed earlier this year, but shareholders rallied and saved The Merc.

Local residents will ultimately decide its fate in the coming months.

We still believe in the community-owned model, and we hope The Merc survives. For more than a decade, the store has been an important part of our downtown.

However, we also realize the landscape has changed for small, local businesses. Not only do they compete against big box stores and Billings businesses, but also online retailers from around the world.

We know The Merc isn’t the only store in Powell facing dwindling sales in recent years. Other businesses also struggle to stay open from month to month, and we’ve seen several close in recent years.

We have written about shopping locally numerous times in the past. It’s a message you’ve heard many times before, but we’ll continue to repeat it.

Why? Because we appreciate everything local business owners do for our community.

Whether it’s a fundraiser for someone facing a medical issue, kids earning money for a youth organization or another charitable cause, area businesses consistently show their support. They remain the lifeblood of our community.

When local businesses struggle, it has a ripple effect in our economy and the community. On the flip side, thriving businesses contribute to the overall health of our town and county.

As the holiday shopping season approaches — Sample the Season, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday all occur next month — we hope you consider shopping locally first.

Those dollars circulate throughout our local economy, benefitting residents beyond that business.

We don’t want to see any more empty storefronts in Powell. By supporting local businesses, each of us can do our part to keep Powell vibrant.