That's good news for businesses in some small mid-Missouri communities.

Corey Stuart has quit making special trips to Columbia for his groceries and holiday gifts.

"We have four kids. We kind of watch what we spend and that's how we are doing it, and that has helped," customer Corey Stuart said.

Customers like Stuart are helping Centralia retailers. They're seeing a steady flow of customers who used to drive 30 minutes to shop in Columbia.

"We do see a lot more shopping locals this year," said local store manager Paula Hayden. "They are calling us and asking if they can get the same thing here."

The Centralia Finance Department hasn't determined their holiday sales tax revenue yet. It will take them as long as February to get that information.

Store owners say the community spirit is also keeping shoppers close to home.

"We are their friends. They are our neighbors. We got to church with them. We see each other in the grocery store aisles," Hayden said.

So even during a recession, small-town store owners are ringing up the benefits of extra business.

Centralia is not the only town to see residents doing business close to home. In November there was an increase in sales tax revenue in Sedalia because more residents are doing business in their own communities.

Reported by Suvro Banerji