saving the small shops

The discussion in class today about buying locally vs. buying imported goods reminds me of something my aunt told me. She lives in a small town in Wisconsin and one day when we were talking about the recession and how we don't like shopping at Wal-Mart because it's so bad for our economy, she told me her personal resolution is to avoid shopping at all the huge chains, and instead try to spend her money at the smaller, local businesses near her home. She told me that if she spends at least $50 a month at her favorite local store, it could be saved from going out of business. I feel that if the majority of people shopped only at the local, family-owned businesses in America it could really save us from the predicament we're in. However, I don't know much about Econ and all the details of capitalism, etc etc... so maybe this isn't such a great idea as I think it is. Feel free to comment and discuss with me if you know more about it than I do or have a different opinion!