It’s time to embrace not just the food and the fun of the season, but also the act of giving.

It’s a mantra we should better embrace in circles beyond close friends and family, to include community.

Christmas might not appeal to everyone, but it provides an opportunity for shoppers in particular to do something good for Griffith.

Even the Christmas Grinches among us have something to contribute at this time of the year, especially when it comes to our city’s future.

Shopping locally is something instilled in the mind of country shoppers, but there are still barriers stopping some from doing their Christmas shop in our stores.

Doing so provides an important boost for the wider community when it benefits from a rich and prosperous retail sector.

But still we look elsewhere else.

Much of it can be down to be availability.

Unfortunately, our local shops can’t always provide everything we’re looking for.

A lot of it circles around convenience.

Competitive prices and at-home purchasing makes online shopping the bane of any rural retail business.

The convenience of pulling back the reins on a month-long Christmas shop and compiling it into a few hours of surfing between online stores certainly has its charm.

In fact, it’s a phenomenon quickly entrenched in our psyche in recent decades proving hard to shake.

Especially when it comes to when it comes to purchasing tickets, clothing and even food.

For those no longer convinced there’s a novelty in doing it the old-fashioned way and searching Banna Avenue for gift ideas this festive season, perhaps reconsider and help enhance the town’s sense of community.

If there’s something you can buy down the street, go the extra yard and jump in the car, instead of checking out your favourite online retailer.

If you’re undecided between specific items, pop in at the local store and get some face-to-face advice.

Spend an extra five-to-10 per cent if it means money goes into a local till.

It may seem tedious, but it makes a huge difference to locals trying to survive in what’s currently a hostile environment for shopfronts.

So let's prove Griffith’s sense of community and keep Christmas cash in local pockets.