New Mexico businesses rely on the support of local consumers all year, but the holidays are especially critical for many small and local merchants, particularly those on Main Street. Customers who shop locally support small community businesses and the people who work for them. They also keep tax money in the community, where it can be recycled and multiplied to pay for first responders, parks, and community centers. It’s an important proposition because many cities, towns, and villages derive as much as 85 percent of their annual revenue from gross receipts tax (GRT) proceeds.

Not sure where to start your holiday shopping? A number of organizations have created lists of locally-made products and vendors. Here are a few:

• Shop within your immediate community by visiting your local Chamber of Commerce website for a list of local retailers searchable by category. For example, the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce provides a member directory, while the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce has a search engine that sorts merchant categories such as clothing and jewelry. To find the chamber of commerce closest to you, click on the name of your municipality on the GrowIt website and then sort for Chambers of Commerce. By zooming in and out on the map using the plus and minus buttons, you will increase and decrease your search area.
• New Mexico MEP, a resource for manufacturing companies, has a list of New Mexico Made products. Browse by category on the New Mexico Made section of the New Mexico MEP website.
• Small-business resource provider WESST has curated a holiday shopping list from its client directory. See the full directory, or subscribe to WESST newsletters to get the shopping list in your email inbox, along with notices about locally-made products throughout the holiday season.
• Shop “New Mexico True” by perusing the holiday gift guide assembled by the New Mexico Tourism Department. The list only contains businesses that have applied for and received “true” certification, but it is not limited to products. Winery and hot air balloon experiences are included in the Visitor Experiences section.