By Sara Marsala

 Sara Marsala owned and operated Tempest in a Teapot Tea Room and Gift Shop on Main St. for five years. The Free Press asked her to assess the benefits of shopping locally at Christmas.

It has been six months since I closed my retail business, and I often get asked whether I miss it.

I will certainly miss it at Christmas. It’s the best time of year for business, not only for the obvious reason that the season can account for as much as 30 percent of annual revenue, but also because small town Christmas shopping epitomizes the best of what the holiday symbolizes, aside from the religious significance. It means spending quality time with the people that mean the most to you; doing something meaningful for others and fostering your sense of community.

While most people will be thinking of trimming their budget as well as their tree this season, I believe it is more important than ever that we ‘shop smart’ and in a more meaningful way. If your shopping dollar has to stretch further, then spend it in ways that are going to positively affect you and the people closest to you – the people in your community.

With less to spend it is essential to concentrate on value added shopping; free gift wrapping, free deliveries and other personal touches that are the mainstay of small businesses. Instead of shopping at big box stores and buying lots of inexpensive stuff from countries whose quality and safety standards are sometimes questionable, shop in a way that will directly benefit the lives of the people around you.

At Reesor Cafe, you can purchase a jar of Staite’s Pure Honey. It makes a wonderful hostess gift and at only $4.95, this is the gift that keeps giving.  First, the recipient of your gift has a quality, tasteful (in more ways than one) item that is personal and well chosen. Secondly, your purchase has directly helped the bottom line of a local business. And thirdly, the honey is produced right here in York Region. That’s smart shopping.

At Candlelight and Memories, owner Pat Montgomery has two distinct features that you won’t see in big box stores. “We will again offer our complimentary gift wrapping, as well as our special Ladies Night,” explained Pat. “A group of friends can get together in the store after hours to enjoy tea and conversation and benefit from personal shopping, with 10 percent off everything in the store.”

If you have to buy for children, or the young at heart, Multiverse will wrap, pack and ship your gift anywhere in Canada for $8. “We want to distinguish ourselves from large, impersonal stores,” said owner Catherine McGowan. “And exceptional, personalized service is the one area where we can do this better, hands down.”

At Lindy’s Floral Boutique you can enjoy one stop shopping. You can order flowers for your holiday table, buy gift or gourmet food items from their ‘Wind and Willow’ line and have it all delivered free, straight to your front door. That’s right, free delivery, no lugging stuff home. This service is not one that will likely be offered at the big stores.

To make the most of your shopping at sister stores Chic Thrills, The Girls and Hubba Hubba, you have to visit them often. From Dec. 1 to Dec. 13, they will celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas by featuring a 20 percent discount on selected items.  “It can be anything from scarves, jewellery, purses, tights or other accessory items. We’re very excited about it,” said Hubba Hubba store manager Morgan Taylor-Maisono.

That’s another thing you won’t see in the big box stores - excitement. Your downtown merchants work hard to bring you the best the year round, but Christmas is when they really shine. This is personal shopping in every sense of the word because when you shop these owner-operated stores, not only do you get one-on-one attention, you also get value added shopping and most importantly, you are individually and collectively contributing to the vibrancy of the small town you live in.

Smart Shopping!

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