Oklahomans Encouraged To Shop Local During Holiday Season

A National Retail Federation survey shows people will spend an average of $935 over the Christmas holidays, and as many people say they’ll shop in stores and online.

But, a new law could discourage some Oklahomans from shopping online since they're now required to pay an online sales tax.

5/19/2016 Related Story: New Oklahoma Law Requires Sales Tax On Online Purchases

The law is designed to give a boost to Oklahoma businesses, and they hope it will make a difference this holiday season.

A sale at The Snow Goose is music to Janet Stevens' ears. She's owned the Utica Square store for 35 years and they’ve been preparing for Christmas since April.

"I basically look for 'new.' And I'm constantly changing my stock to keep things fresh," Stevens said.

She said online shopping means fewer people are buying from locally owned stores, making it harder for new small businesses to crop up.

"Locally, I think it's just so very important,” Stevens said. “I think we see less and less of the entrepreneur or the individual owner. A lot of people find that it's a little harder today to start up."

That's why the Tulsa Small Business Connection held a pep rally to remind people to spend their dollars in-state, or, even better, in-town.

Tulsa Regional Chamber president, Mike Neal said, "Online sales has had a huge impact on local governments across our state, a huge impact on the state of Oklahoma."

Neal estimates Tulsa loses about $20 million every year due to online sales.

But now that Oklahoma does add a sales tax to online purchases, small businesses feel much more encouraged this year.

Stevens said, "It gets you much more excited about the holidays coming up, and you see a lot of things you wouldn't see - in Tulsa or in other places."

Small Business Saturday is November 26, the day after Black Friday. That's when shoppers are encouraged to shop locally.