Christmas Eve has arrived, which means last-minute shopping for some of us.
This year, local businesses say more Edmonton consumers have been making purchases in their stores in the days leading up to Christmas than in previous years.
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Edmonton’s 124 Street is well known for having many local, specialty stores and boutiques. Local business owners in the area say they have noticed a welcome increase in shoppers.
“That makes us feel good, that they deliberately came here,” Carol’s Quality Sweets owner Carol Logan said.
“They didn’t just sit behind the computer and order Christmas presents. They made the effort to come out and say hello.”
Owners believe some Edmontonains are making a concerted effort to shop local.
“Lots of our customers come here because they know that their clothes are made here, or that all the goods we serve are made here,” Barking Buffalo Café owner Kassie Burkholder said.
“Everything in the shop is all Canadian, so they can feel rest assured it’s made in an ethical way or that there’s no grey area of where things are coming from.”
“A lot of people have made a conscious effort this year to shop local and support smaller businesses,” Parcel & Prose owner Tracy Losey said.
“I think it has a lot to do with the economy and wanting to put more money back into the local community.”
READ MORE: Thousands hit Edmonton stores on final shopping days before Christmas
Last Friday also helped local businesses because the last Friday before Christmas is considered to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year, according to industry experts.
Last year, spending on the last Friday before Christmas was 45 per cent higher than Boxing Day in Canada, according to Moneris.
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