Shopping locally is an investment back into the community, according to Tracy Allen, Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce past president and chairperson of the SRCCC Shop Local campaign. He said, “Industry has tentacles. You don’t realize how far that goes out. It keeps getting returned and more of your neighbors can get hired.”
Festive signs promoting the Shop Local mantra are already up in front of chamber member stores. “We’re trying to get started early this year,” Allen said. Keeping holiday dollars in the county, he said, assists paying local services like fire, police, and paramedics. He also said, “Think about people who sponsor little league and 5k (runs).”
While Allen said he was not trying to exclude the box stores who employ many and pay taxes, he said spending money locally is a thank you to businesses for investing in charities and events around town. “If you don’t return the favor, they won’t have money to give,” he said.
David Marchlewski, owner of A Joyful Noise Music Store, stressed the service-side of making purchases from locally owned business.
“It’s nice to have someone to deal with face to face. It’s not just about the product and the price,” he said. Marchlewski said he’s an advocate for customers. He said he can work with manufacturers, while an online dealer may be less likely to do so. Marchlewski also said adjustments for in-store purchases are free, such as adjusting the action.
While Marchlewski spoke for the relationship with local dealers, he said he had a situation where a customer was looking for acoustic guitar pickups and found they were only off in price by at most a dollar.
Joyful Noise is advertising extended layaway until Christmas and Marchlewski said some nice specials are coming for Black Friday, like guitar packages. They’re located next to Milton Computers at 6377 Highway 90.
Little Angel Boutique, a children’s consignment shop, also has Black Friday specials coming. Owner Melinda McCreless said all holiday clothing and toys will be 20 to 50 percent off. McCreless said she also advocates for shopping locally. “I appreciate the business here. We’ve been serving the local community for over 13 years. (Local shopping) has kept us here that long.”
Several business owners in Pace are continuing to see increasing business during the holiday season.
Monica Rivers, owner of M.L.R. Fine Jewelry and Gifts in Pace, is planning for another successful holiday season.
“I think the economy seems to be picking up a little bit,” she said.
Rivers said this is the busiest time of year for her store.
As a convenience to holiday shoppers, Rivers said her business, which also customized jewelry and other gift ideas in addition to jewelry, will be open an additional day of the week on Mondays, starting Dec. 1.
Rivers said the holiday shopping season typically beings following Thanksgiving. MLR will continue their tradition of starting their holiday shopping season with an open house event on Dec. 4-6, in which many of the store items will be on sale.
Rivers said her business will be able to manage without hiring temporary seasonal help.
The same cannot be said for fellow the Pace business Alyssa’s Antique Depot.
“We have actually hired eight additional employees for this Christmas season,” Owner Alyssa Schepper said.
Schepper she will need the assistance in operating a 25,000 square foot facility with nearly 300 individual vendors.
Like Rivers, Schepper is anticipating an increasingly busy holiday season.
“This Christmas season already seems better than last Christmas season,” Schepper said. “It already seems like sales are already up 10 to 15 percent up from last year’s sales, so far.”
Alyssa’s will also be extending business hours as a convenience to shoppers.
“From Thanksgiving until Christmas we stay open until eight on Fridays and Saturdays to give people a little more time to shop,” Schepper said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Santa Rosa Chamber stresses shopping local this holiday season