Although I am a huge fan of Amazon, I still make a sincere effort to patronize small local businesses. If the local hardware shop has something I need - I justify paying a bit more for the item versus Lowes/Home Depot because they're local... I know these people... they're neighborhood friends, they support the local volunteer fire company, the various local causes and local charities. They're good people. They're not corporate America. They live in modest homes in the area, they drive modest cars. Their kids went to school with my kids. They have a commitment to their business and livelihoods obviously, but they also have a commitment to their community.
This was their dream - to own their own business, to be able to live a modestly comfortable lifestyle, employ good reliable people who could not only pass a drug screening, but would show up ready for work every morning when the doors open. But contrary to popular opinion - most of these people aren't millionaires living the highlife. They're just like me and you... hoping to put their kids through college, pay off their mortgage some day, put enough money into an IRA so that someday when they turn the business over to their kids (who may not even want the headaches that some with such little pay in the end) - they don't have to continue working when they're 70 years old.
They assume a lot of risk in that process, and most of these small businesses never make it beyond the 5 year point. Sometimes it's a lack of preparation and bad decisions, but a lot of the time it's because our current times don't encourage business ownership, but above and beyond that - they penalize it.