A senior official in the Manx Treasury has been spelling out the value of buying local, in the run-up to the busy Christmas shopping season.
With overheads and instore costs that internet sites don't incur, local shops often can't compete with online prices.
But head of the Treasury's Economic Affairs Division Stephen Carse says supporting local businesses helps sustain and create employment in the Island.
Mr Carse says real benefit to the Manx economy comes when the goods in the stores are sourced locally:
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