Over the past 40 years, direct mail has been declared “dead.” This is especially true in an age when digital marketing through emails was supposed to push direct mail into the dustbins of time. But like the hard-to-kill horror movie antagonist, the rumors of its demise continue to be premature.

Last year, Forbes described the core reasons why shopping at your local business is good for your local community and the economy. Read on to see how shopping locally benefits not only your own community but the overall economy.