What Really Happens When You Shop Local (And Why It Matters in 76266)

This December, every dollar you spend is a vote for the kind of town you want to live in.

Every December, the same scene plays out: tabs full of Amazon carts, big-box “doorbusters,” free-shipping countdowns, and a quiet little voice that says, “I really should shop local this year…”

If you live in or around Sanger, Texas (76266), “shopping local” isn’t just a feel-good slogan. It changes what our town looks like, which businesses survive on Bolivar Street, and whether our kids grow up with real culture or just more cardboard boxes on the porch.

I want to walk you through what actually happens when you shop from local artists and small businesses in my community – the good, the blind spots, and some of the uncomfortable truths in between.

The big picture: Art isn’t a luxury side dish – it’s an economic engine

Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture sector generated about $151.7 billion in economic activity in 2022, supporting 2.6 million jobs and $29.1 billion in government revenue. 

Zoom out even further and the “creative economy” – everything from visual art and music to design and film – makes up about 6.1% of global GDP, with visual arts as one of the largest employers in that mix. 

Here in Texas, arts and culture added more than $7.3 billion to the state economy and helped support over 960,000 creative jobs, according to the Texas Cultural Trust’s 2025 State of the Arts report. 

In North Texas alone, nonprofit arts organizations have been shown to pump around $1.4–1.5 billion a year into the economy and support more than 50,000 jobs – from artists and theater techs to restaurant servers and parking attendants who work the events. 

So when we talk about “supporting artists,” we’re not just talking about paint and canvases. We’re talking about jobs, tax revenue, tourism, and whether a place feels alive or forgettable.

What that looks like in 76266 and Denton County

Sanger is small, but it’s not sleepy.

• Historic downtown Sanger has been deliberately rebuilt around unique restaurants, boutiques and small businesses, with events woven through the year to keep people on the streets and in local shops. 

• Annual events like Sanger Sellabration turn downtown into a packed festival of arts, crafts, local vendors, food trucks, and live entertainment – that’s art and small business literally taking over Main Street for a day. 

• The Downtown Sanger Farmers Market runs regularly and is now expanding to additional days, specifically to deepen the connection between local producers and neighbors. 

A short drive south, Denton has been officially recognized as one of the best U.S. cities for creatives, thanks to its dense mix of music, art, and independent businesses downtown. 

All of that “vibe” people love – the music on the square, the murals, the quirky shops – exists because real humans keep choosing local makers and venues over anonymous algorithms.

Where your money actually goes when you shop small

Here’s the part that rarely gets spelled out.

National research from the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) shows that about 48¢ of every dollar spent at a local business stays in the community, compared to around 14¢ when that same dollar goes to a national chain. 

When you buy from a local artist or shop in 76266:

• Part of that money becomes income for the artist or shop owner – which gets spent on local groceries, gas, services, childcare, and yes, property taxes.

• Part of it pays local helpers: framers, printers, photographers, bookkeepers, delivery drivers.

• Part of it shows up as sales tax and business taxes that help fund things like schools, libraries, parks, and emergency services right here. 

According to Americans for the Arts, arts audiences also generate additional spending on restaurants, parking, hotels, and retail every time they go out for a show or exhibit. 

Buying a painting from a local artist isn’t just “helping an artist.” It’s quietly feeding a whole little ecosystem.

The December effect: why holiday shopping is such a big lever

Now layer December on top of that.

Consumer spending makes up roughly 70% of the U.S. economy, and the National Retail Federation expects 2025 November–December holiday sales to cross $1 trillion for the first time. 

Holiday months typically account for around 20% of annual retail sales, and December 2024 alone was over $600 billion in retail and food service spending. 

At the same time, Small Business Saturday has become a major force – estimated spending at local merchants reached around $22 billion in 2024, and since 2010, shoppers have spent about $184 billion at small businesses on that one day. 

If that tidal wave of December money mostly flows to big online platforms and national chains, the impact on places like Sanger and Denton is… muted.
If even a sliver of those dollars is redirected to neighborhood businesses, art markets, and local makers, towns like ours feel the difference in a very real way.

But does shopping small really move the needle? (The uncomfortable part.)

Here’s where it gets a little spicy.

Some analysts point out that even with all the “shop small” campaigns, small businesses’ share of U.S. GDP has barely budged, while large corporations have kept growing faster. 

In other words: individual choices matter – but they’re not magic.

There are also real blind spots and criticisms:

1. “Shop small” can ignore people on tight budgets

Local goods – especially handmade art – can cost more than mass-produced items. When campaigns guilt people into “shopping local” without acknowledging income inequality, it can feel tone-deaf.

Reality check:

• In many families, December is already a financial pressure cooker.

• Not everyone can afford an original painting, even if they love it.

That’s why you’ll see a lot of artists (myself included) offering prints, small works, payment plans, and gift cards. Supporting local doesn’t have to mean dropping hundreds of dollars – sometimes it’s a $30 print, a $15 ornament, or simply sharing someone’s work so it reaches the right buyer.

2. Not every “small” business is automatically a good actor

Some “local” businesses treat their staff poorly, underpay creatives, or cash in on a neighborhood’s charm without giving anything back. On the flip side, some larger companies genuinely invest in communities.

Blind spot: romanticizing “small” as always ethical.

The more honest approach is:

Ask how a business treats people, who it pays, and how it shows up in the community – not just how cute their storefront is.

3. Arts districts and gentrification

There’s a long-running pattern where artists and small creative businesses move into affordable areas, make them vibrant, and then rising rents push them (and long-term residents) out again. 

Cities across the U.S. have seen arts-driven revitalization turn into full-blown gentrification:

• Rents skyrocket.

• Original small businesses and residents get priced out.

• “Support local” becomes a marketing slogan for luxury developments.

If we’re serious about supporting local artists, we have to also care about affordable studio space, fair leases, and policies that keep the people who built the culture from being pushed out.

4. Convenience vs. conscience

Ever tried holiday shopping after dark, in the cold, fighting for parking, when you’re already exhausted? Online shopping exists for a reason.

The blind spot is pretending it’s always easy to choose local. It isn’t.

The good news:
Many local artists now sell online too – through their own websites, Etsy shops, or social media. You can absolutely shop small from your couch, in your pajamas, with a mug of cocoa in hand.

What it means when you buy from me (or an artist like me) in Texas

I’m one of those local artists you see in the mix – painting, burning wood, filming process videos, adding new work to my shop, and trying to build a life in the town I call home.

When you buy a piece of art from me in 76266:

• You’re paying a Texas print lab to create high-quality giclée prints. 

• You’re helping me buy supplies from regional art and hardware stores.

• You’re making it easier for me to say yes to local collaborations, commissions, and community projects.

• You’re supporting the time it takes to mentor, teach, and create more work that lives in homes, offices, and public spaces around Denton County.

You’re not just buying “a painting.”
You’re investing in the idea that Sanger deserves its own art, its own stories, its own visual language – not just the same mass-produced decor sold everywhere else.

So… what should December look like?

I’m not here to tell you to cancel your Target run or feel guilty about ordering a toy your grandkid really wants.

What I am asking is this:

• Shift a slice of your December budget toward local artists and small businesses.

• Make at least one gift this year something handmade or locally created.

• Visit a local market, art fair, or downtown event – like Sellabration or the farmers market – and see who’s out there making beautiful things in your own ZIP code. 

• If money is tight, share, comment, save, and talk about the artists and shops you love. Visibility is its own kind of currency.

Every December dollar is a tiny vote.

You can vote for a world where everything arrives in the same beige box from the same three companies.
Or you can vote for a town that actually looks and feels like Sanger, Texas – full of color, character, and stories hanging on real walls in real homes.

If you’re ready to cast a few of those votes my way, you’ll find my work (and lots of other local creatives) just a short drive – or a short click – away.

Sources & References

Americans for the Arts.
“Arts & Economic Prosperity 6: National Findings.” Americans for the Arts, 2022.
(Report detailing the $151.7B national economic impact, tax revenue, and job support generated by the arts sector.)

Texas Cultural Trust.
“2025 State of the Arts Report.” Texas Cultural Trust, 2025.
(Highlights include $7.3B in Texas arts GDP contribution and 960,000+ creative-sector jobs.)

American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA).
“Economic Multiplier Effect of Local Businesses.”
(Study showing that 48¢ of every locally spent dollar stays in the community vs. ~14¢ at national chains.)

National Retail Federation.
“Holiday Spending Forecasts and Trends 2024–2025.”
(Reports indicating U.S. holiday spending surpassing $1T and December retail sales exceeding $600B.)

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“Creative Economy Satellite Account.” 2024.
(Shows the creative economy representing 6.1% of global GDP with visual arts among its strongest contributors.)

Americans for the Arts – Arts Audience Spending Data.
“AEP6 Audience Supplemental Report.”
(Data on restaurant, parking, lodging, and retail spending driven by arts attendance.)

City of Sanger Economic Development / Downtown Sanger.
Official updates on downtown revitalization, small-business initiatives, and annual community events such as Sellabration.

Denton Economic Development & Cultural District Reports.
(Recognizes Denton as a top U.S. creative city and documents its investment in arts, music, and independent business infrastructure.)

Small Business Saturday / American Express.
“Impact of Small Business Saturday 2010–2024.”
(Data showing $22B+ in single-day local spending and $184B cumulatively since the campaign began.)

Urban Studies & Cultural Policy Research on Gentrification.
(General scholarship illustrating how arts-driven revitalization can lead to rising rents and displacement if not paired with affordability measures.)