Tens of millions of Americans will do most, if not all, their holiday season shopping with giant online retail operations this year. They will argue that it is more convenient or safer for them to do so rather than patronize local brick-and-mortar stores.

Now, Fort Dodge will soon become home to one of Amazon’s last-mile delivery stations. The massive building is being constructed now. This is great news for the future of the community, but it is no reason to give up on the existing local retailers.

Local retailers, from mom-and-pop specialty shops to the big-box stores, rely on Christmas shoppers for significant chunks of the revenue that keep them open year-round. If they have a bad holiday shopping season, they suffer terribly. Some may not survive long into the new year.

So what? Well, put on your thinking cap for a moment.

How many local residents work for one of those online retail giants? Amazon delivery stations like the one being built in Fort Dodge employ about 170 people. That is excellent. But don’t forget that hundreds more of our friends, family members and neighbors rely on local stores to put bread and butter on the table.

What portion of local taxes — supporting our schools, public safety and dozens of other local government services — are paid by online operations? Amazon will be paying taxes in Fort Dodge. But local retailers have been paying taxes for years and will continue to do so.

And what happens when we need donations to support worthwhile local initiatives ranging from youth baseball to helping the needy at Christmas? Existing local retailers have been stepping up to do so for years and will continue to do so. Hopefully Amazon will be joining the ranks of great corporate citizens.

Local retailers — many of whom have their own websites, by the way — are the very lifeblood of our communities. In a very real way, they are us.

Don’t let online retailers be the Grinch who stole Christmas from them — and thus, our communities. Shop at home. On Dec. 25, the knowledge you have supported local retailers will make your Christmas brighter.