- Video shows Gilbert Chocolates and Collective Market Co. sharing their experience this holiday shopping season.
- Both businesses say business has been slower than previous years, and they attribute the lack of traffic to inflation and online shopping.
- DDA Executive Director, Beth Kuiper, shares that for every dollar spent, 67 cents of that dollar stays locally.
From chocolate, to decor, to clothing, Downtown Jackson shops have a little bit of everything. However, this Christmas season, a few small businesses are seeing a common theme. "It's been slow. A lot," says Collective Market Co. employee, Sophia Reynolds. "It's been a bit slow. It has," agrees Co-owner of Gilbert Chocolates, Brian Krichbaum. "Christmas has been a little bit down this year."
Businesses believe the slow-down is being caused by inflation, as well as the convenience of the "Add to Cart" button on online shopping sites. "People aren't spending as much in the downtown shops," explains Beth Kuiper, Executive Director of the Jackson Downtown Development Authority (DDA). She shares the impact of people spending their money in the neighborhood. "There's power in your purchases. For every dollar that's spent in a downtown business or a local business, 67 cents of that dollar stays locally.
That local spend, or lack of it, is felt at Gilbert Chocolates. Krichbaum says Christmas sales are down 20%. "For us, it's important. Christmas is 40% of our year, so if Christmas is bad, it's not a good year," he says. A couple doors down at Collective Market Co., employees say sale prices have helped get items off the shelves. Reynolds says, "There has been more sales, just because we're trying to get things up and out and the sales help a lot."
As the holiday shopping season comes to a close, people at neighborhood businesses believe their products have a quality that isn't found in big box stores. "If you go in the back, we're still making Christmas chocolates, right now. It's not on a boat some place. It's not on a truck some place. It's being made right here, right now," says Krichbaum.
With a week left of shopping, buying a gift downtown can actually be a gift itself to businesses that have seen a slow-down in sales. Kuiper says, "You can find so many things downtown and really check that off your list for anyone that you're shopping for."
The DDA is selling gift certificates that feature 50 downtown shops, restaurants and more. Click here to see which businesses are participating and to purchase. A downtown shopping event is happening this weekend, December 19. Learn how you can win Michigan State/U of M basketball tickets.
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