If you close your eyes and think about Thanksgiving, it’s a sure bet that you’ll conjure up images of family, food and fun.

You may smell the turkey and taste the dressing. You may smile at the thought of seeing loved ones that you rarely see.

When we think of Thanksgiving décor, the colors are almost exclusively fall-like — lots of yellows, oranges and browns.

But for hundreds of area workers, this week will not be about relaxing with family — at least not as much as most people will enjoy.

And the color that comes to their minds is green.

For dozens of local retailers, Thanksgiving week is the big game. It’s the playoffs and it’s vitally important to their livelihoods.

Some years ago, someone coined the phrase “Black Friday” to describe how important the day after Thanksgiving has become for retailers. Allegedly, it’s the day that many retailers earn enough revenue to be profitable, or in the black, for the year.

This year Black Friday may hold even more importance.

Some economists are worried that Americans from all walks of life may be spending less this year on Christmas.

If that’s true, it could signal trouble for some retailers who may have already had a bad year.

Interestingly, in talking to a few local retailers, it’s easy to see that they remain positive about the future.

But they need our help.

Even if some of us find that we need to spend less this holiday season that would still be OK for retailers if we reduce the level of out-of-town spending we do.

With a few exceptions, Natchez is large enough to have almost everything someone could want to purchase. Or if the items are not in stock, in many cases, retailers can order the items for you, and thus keep some money here at home.

Spending money locally helps not only the businesses and the employees those businesses hire, but it also helps provide the public services like police and fire protection.

A dollar spent locally rolls over several times in the community.

The business pays an employee and pays taxes, which helps the community as a whole.

The employee takes his paycheck and buys groceries to feed his family. The grocery store employs more residents who do the same with their paychecks.

It’s a circle of the community’s economic life.

Collectively the Miss-Lou’s retail spending base is extremely large and by helping those who help our community by spending at home, we can help our precious retailers weather the economic storm.

On Friday, as national retailers roll out crazy discounts in an effort to attract the early shoppers, the hard core shoppers will be lining up for the amazing deals.

But as the deal searchers head out in the wee hours Friday morning, we should all realize the importance of seeking to shop at home first.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.