As the holiday shopping season begins to wind down, local businesses are now looking ahead to the new year.
Local shoppers were all out and about Christmas Eve trying to check off some last-minute items on their Christmas lists. Aaron Otto of Brown’s Shoe Fit Company says the final days before Christmas typically brings a steady stream of customers into the store.
Otto says this year’s traffic is a bit different from normal, as is to be expected with the ongoing pandemic, however, they’re still seeing a strong steady stream of customers.
Nature’s Paradise manager Will Spencer says the pandemic has not had a major impact on foot traffic in recent months.
Spencer says the end of year rush is crucial for the business heading into the new year, as higher revenues mean more deals and opportunities to give back to their customers in the coming year.
Not only have shoppers been out and about searching for the perfect items to place under the Christmas tree, but they’ve also been on the hunt for what to put on the table for Christmas dinner. Good’s Cash Saver manager Brad Durbin says they’re still seeing traditional holiday meal items coming off the shelves, however, ham sales are a bit lower than what they typically see this time of year.
Durbin believes this is a sign that residents are adhering to recommendations from health professionals to forgo traditional holiday meals due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Durbin does not believe people are outright canceling their holiday plans, but just downsizing to reduce the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19.
Businesses across the community have reported steady streams of customers throughout the past several months, due mainly in part to the constant push by area leaders to help support small businesses that have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic since late March.
