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The Champion, Thursday, December 10 -16,2015 BUSINESS Page14A
Promotions urge holiday consumers to 'shop small 7
by Kathy Mitchell
Holiday spending in
the United States this year
is expected to increase 3.7
percent to an average of $805
per consumer and a total of
$630.5 billion—significantly
higher than the 10-year aver
age of 2.5 percent, according
to National Retail Federation
(NRF).
Many municipal business
associations are working to
see that independent, locally
owned stores get a substan
tial share of that business.
Holiday sales in 2015, NRF
reports, are expected to repre
sent approximately 19 percent
of the U. S. retail industry’s
annual sales of $3.2 trillion.
Such special promotions
as Decatur’s Terrific Thurs
days and Avondale Estates’
Month of Merry are designed
to encourage shoppers to
spend their holiday dol
lars with local merchants.
“While we don’t set goals or
track actual spending, we
know Month of Merry has
been successful enough for
us to repeat it each year,”
noted Keri Stevens, Avondale
Estates city planner and com
munity development officer.
“Price, value and even
timing will all play a role in
how, when, where and why
people shop over the holiday
season,” NRF President and
CEO Matthew Shay said in
a commentary on this year’s
holiday survey. “Retailers will
be competitive not only on
price, but on digital initia
tives, store hours, product of
ferings and much more.”
The city of Decatur for
more than a dozen years has
responded to the need to of
fer something extra to entice
holiday shoppers, including
longer shopping hours. Dur
ing Terrific Thursdays, which
start in November and lead
up to Christmas, participat
ing businesses are staying
open until 9 or 10 p.m., luring
customers with special offers,
snacks, demonstrations and
other offerings.
Since 2011, American
Express in partnership with
The National Federation of
Independent Business has
promoted Small Business
Saturday, the Saturday after
Thanksgiving, to encour
age patronizing independent
stores. Avondale Estates
makes that date the kickoff
for Month of Merry.
In an article in the Dec. 3
issue of U.S. News and World
Report, Jean Card, former
head of media relations for
the National Federation of
Independent Business, said
promoting small business on
a single day of the year is not
enough.
“America has been an
economic power for more
than a century due to the
dynamism created by our
unique balance between the
big and small business sec
tors. Lose that balance, and
the economy becomes a
lethargic collection of lum
bering big businesses (that
government will deem ‘too
big to fail,’ especially if they’re
unionized). Our economy
needs small businesses for
their energy, innovation,
competitive spirit and diver
sity. Today, small business is
critically ill, and it matters,”
she said.
Boosting independent
business sales year-round is
a goal of the special holiday
promotions in both Decatur
and Avondale Estates. “In ad
dition to keeping more holi
day dollars in the community,
Month of Merry is a time for
shoppers to learn about some
of the unusual stores and
products here in Avondale
Estates,” said Stevens, adding
that many shops are owned
by local residents.
Stevens said the city
hopes the promotion will
spur an interest in “shopping
small” not only in Avondale
Estates, but in such near cities
and communities as Deca
tur, Kirkwood, Tucker and
Brookhaven.
She cited as examples of
unusual local stores Mama
Bath and Body, where staff
whip up soaps, scrubs, lo
tions, candles and other items
in the store’s “kitchen” from
such raw ingredients as shea
butter, coconut oil, herbs and
essential oils. Also partici
pating this year is The Bead
Shoppe, which offers jewelry
making materials, including
exotic beads, vintage beads,
glass beads, Czech glass
beads, crystal beads, Swarovs-
ki crystal, seed beads, Native
American beads and African
sandcast.
The city’s website notes
that Avondale Estates “is
home to award-winning
shops and restaurants teem
ing with gift-worthy goods
including fashion, furnish
ings, art, music, artisan-cured
meats, freshly baked treats,
carefully selected wine and
more. Many businesses are
within walking distance of
each other.”
So far, 23 businesses have
signed up to participate in
this year’s Month of Merry,
Stevens said on Dec. 3, add
ing that others may join the
list.
DEKMU CHAMBER
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INFLUENTIAL
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce • Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite, Decatur, GA 30030 • 404.378.8000 • www.dekalbchamber.org
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