The decorations are already up and the carols are starting to blare from speakers in shops and centres.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It can only be days before Santas surrounded by kids become a feature of daily life.
Yes, Christmas time is here.
And families will soon be flocking to the shopping centres so the children can give their wishlist to Santa and have their photograph taken.
They will also hopefully crowd into the stores in high street retail strips.
There will be the annual panic for those (traditionally many) who haven’t started shopping for Christmas gifts and realise it’s only a month and a few days to the big day.
There will be many who try to avoid the inevitable crowds, made up of often tired and irritable shoppers, seeking the best possible gifts for their loved ones.
Some will turn to online shopping from the comfort of their homes, well away from the Christmas scrum.
Dubbo has had some significant successes in attracting new retail businesses, most of them from national chains, in recent times. There have also been some local start-ups.
The only way to keep a diverse and growing retail section in the city is through strong support from the community.
Online shopping is easy and often preferred, but the money spent leaves Dubbo and they are vital dollars that could be injected into the local community.
While the purchaser might make personal savings, they are short term.
Send enough money elsewhere and jobs are lost, locally-owned businesses shut and retail choices shrink.
Shoppers love the arrival of popular chain stores in Dubbo and they certainly benefit the community, providing jobs for locals.
But, locally-owned businesses help keep the retail sector alive and, combined, provide a significant number of jobs for our young.
Christmas is the busiest shopping time of the year.
It is when most retail outlets earn their real profits for the year. It can be make or break time for a business.
It would be great to see as many dollars as possible stay in Dubbo this year.
The community can show local businesses that we support them and keep the Dubbo economy thriving.
Give them a lasting Christmas present ... buy all your gifts and goodies locally.