Small businesses in Santa Rosa County are preparing for Christmas shoppers, moving out holiday merchandise and offering percentage discounts on individual items and whole purchases. While retail stores may seem the most obvious to benefit from seasonal shopping, other small businesses in the area prosper during the holidays. The following includes the holiday plans of several local businesses in retail and other industries.
Monica and Phillip Palmer are the owners of Blackwater Trail and Antiques and are focusing on their second holiday shopping season. Monica said there will be sales throughout the store on their hand-crafted, antique, vintage, and boutique items. She said some vendors’ items will be discounted from 10 to as much as 50 percent off. Monica added for Shop Small Day, December 6, they’ll be serving mulling spice, a kind of hot cider. Blackwater Trail and Antiques is located at 6705 Berryhill Street in Milton.
In Pace, the name-brand women’s clothing store Emilee’s Closet has holiday deals on both Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Owner Teri Williams said for both days the store will give an additional 20 percent off the total sale on top of whatever items are discounted these two days. An item Williams highlighted are the Miss Me jeans, what she called “bling bling jeans.” A shopper in the store Wednesday, Terry Stacey said the store has “a quality selection of plus-size clothing.” Williams added while many shoppers flock to big retail stores, Emilee’s Closet offers shoppers a hassle-free, not overly crowded holiday shopping experience.
The Dragonfly Art Gallery is a juried gallery featuring works by local artists for sale and so may not appear a target for holiday dollars. However, Rodie Zolecki, one of the Dragonfly artists, said during the holidays the gallery includes craft items normally not available in the gallery. The Christmas-themed feature room has handmade silk scarves by Becky Gibbs, conical hanging door or wall ornaments and felt ball tree ornaments by Sandy Lang, miniature ornament paintings by Elaine Woodward and more. Zolecki said the gallery has several such gift items now for 25 dollars and under. December 4 is Gallery Night at the Dragonfly as well complete with hors d’oeuvres.
Fusion Fine Wine and Spirits, at 5410 Highway 90, does not see Black Friday as a big day, according to Area Manager Rob Sepe, but sales increase the day before Thanksgiving and the day before Christmas. Sepe said the day before “Turkey Day” is the third largest selling day of the year. “November and December make it for us,” he said. Fusion, he said, offers tastings throughout the season on the weekends.
For Pace shoppers needing a break, Woody’s Bar and Grill welcomes them with their usual specials like 50 cent wing Wednesdays and discounted wraps with fries on Fridays. Saturdays, Woody’s has five and seven dollar pitchers and two-dollar beer at random times throughout the week. Woody’s, open 11 a.m., is located at 4275 Woodbine Road.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Local stores offer more than just sales during the holidays