Your suggestion that holiday shoppers patronize local businesses is an admirable one (“Growing local best way to boost economic growth” Dec. 14). That is something I strive to do all year long. However, if a local business expects to get my patronage, I expect it to be open at reasonable times and have an informative website.

An idea for a gift came to me on Sunday. I did a computer search for a local business that might have the item and found a shop in Portland that I thought might carry it. Unfortunately, the website did not list any inventory. As it was Sunday, I wrote down the phone number and called the shop Monday morning.

Oops! The shop is only open Tuesday through Saturday. I hung up and called again Tuesday morning around 9:30. Oops, again! I listened to the complete message this time only to find out they do not open until 11 a.m. Frustration won out and I pushed the “add to cart” button on the Amazon.com website. The gift is now in my possession waiting to be wrapped. If the local shop had a more up-to-date website with, at a minimum, a general list of its inventory and its hours of operation, I might have made the drive to Portland.

Local businesses must recognize that online retailers put all kinds of information at the shoppers’ fingertips 24 hours a day. In order to compete, they must do likewise. And it would certainly be smart to be open on Mondays and before 11 a.m. during the Christmas shopping season.

Copy the Story Link