And by slavishly using Amazon for more and more you (I include us all here) are slowly seeing the end of any chance of small local retails survival and even mid to large wholesale/retail suppliers. This shitstorm started a long while ago with Costoco etal and Amazon is the evolution of the model of decimate and dominate as a corporate plan. 
What do you want me to do about it.
Like all of us we should consider what it is doing to our communities that is all. Anything specialty retail is going or has gone the way of the Dodo and mid level is heading that way.
It doesn't mean don't use them just think if what you are ordering. Cutting out local whenever you can is ultimately cutting your own throat.
Let's be honest here there are a few factors that are affecting local communities:
1. Migration of first world countries to service industries.
2. 90% of retail purchases are unnecessary lumps of conspicuous consumption and that is dying off in favour of necessity.
3. Entertainment and experience have replaced things.
4. Local businesses as a rule offer the worst experience, service and support unless they are very niche and most of those are doing online trading now because a singular local area doesn't have enough customers to sustain business.
Quite frankly everyone's living a pipe dream of local being best.
Your community is more than local businesses. It's parks, sports, recreation, social interactions, events and leisure and we're being sold a lie by a dying sector that it's about local businesses selling tat that no one wants or needs any more.
Loom smashers can stay in the last century thanks.
Local Businesses and in particular Small Business were among the largest employers. I think the decline and direction is likely irreversible at least in Country Oz and at minimum I need to have freighted in from Melbourne raw materials due to this dumbing down of retail to Big Box style stores not carrying what is needed.
If we take Electronic components then what was here 6 or 7 years ago was a 'reasonablely' run by a Lady Engineer Store with a great idea of what her customers needed including a mix of the usual E-Toys and PC gear to keep the component side viable. She retired and the low cost PC making entity that brought her business fucked it totally in two years due mainly to NFI and the rise of Evilbay/Amazon for a lot of what they used to carry. I now have a poor attempt at an Electronics store 2 1/2 hours away which certainly isn't worth the drive to be disappointed.
The lack of quality support be it repair or service of goods is also screwing us over as the solution becomes junk it and buy another 2-3 year solution for the least possible $ from Evilbay/Amazon.
Living in a major Capital I suggest you are out of touch with small retail and community as the jobs in YOUR area are certainly more likely to be Service or Government ones. We unlike you do not have same or even next day delivery and fortunately so far AmazonOz sucks Donkey Balls.
For me, it really depends on what the local business is providing and whether they offer anything of value.
I do make a point of looking local, but I still make careful decisions about my purchasing.
In fact, I often search locally and then widen my search until I find what I am looking until I find a reasonable value.
We have a local small engines shop. That is where I purchased my chain saw sharpener mentioned today. I could have bought it cheaper online/elsewhere. The shop also provides services and local support, which is highly valuable. I support them by purchasing items there in order to maintain the services. Yes, it also helps the local economy and local jobs.
The local farm store is much the same way with building supplies and provides incredible value when it comes to emergency repairs.
There is another local roadside place that has a restaurant and gas bar. I do order pizzas there once in a while since the food is quite good and the convenience factor is worth it, especially on Fridays.
However, I do not buy any gas there. Their gas price is 40% higher than in town. I cannot justify that when I buy a couple of hundred litres at a time, partially for the purpose of travelling back and forth to town. Their market is people who forgot to get gas elsewhere or who do not justify going in to town, which I do not fit.
Electronics is a whole other matter. The nearest shop is more than one hour of driving and carries a poor mix of items. It is impossible to get everything for a single project there.
The Great White North has few and far between options. I will order sometimes from shops/online in Ontario or elsewhere in Canada that can ship and have reasonable prices.
Even DigiKey Canada orders are fulfilled by DigiKey USA more than half the time...
I think there are likely only two people in this region that order electronic components, so there is no local business case to be made.
Even if I search local to my office, there almost nothing to be found, and my office is in a national capital.
In summary of all that, it depends on value and what your definition of value is.
Exclusively local or avoiding local are not viable solutions here; finding a decent balance is the only practical thing to do up here.
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