LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — Mattern's Floral Boutique in Kingston has decked its halls for the holidays, but operations manager Elyssa Chakiris says it's been an interesting season.
"It's been definitely different. You can tell that people are shopping differently. They're being a little more aware of what they're spending, how they're spending it, and a little more careful about what they're getting for the people in their life," said Elyssa Chakiris, operations manager.
Chakiris says the difference in the way folks are shopping can be good and bad for business, but overall she thinks they are getting the message to shop small.
"I think they are. I think that we really have a good community, you know, throughout the area, who want to see their neighbors, their friends do well and thrive," said Chakiris.
Hannah Burgess is the owner of The Beekeepers Daughter in Plains Township.
"Small business to us means that you're not just supporting, you know, like a big corporation. You're supporting like a family, like my whole family works here. We're very family oriented; we have family friends that are working here, so it's not only just supporting family, it's supporting, you know, people in your community as well," said Hannah Burgess, owner of The Beekeeper's Daughter.
Even though Burgess says her customers are responding to the 'shop small' message, she thinks some of the marketing tactics small businesses find necessary to survive are a big reason why.
"We have to be a little bit more creative to get people in the door. Not this past weekend, but the weekend before we offered, we had a beautiful display set up when we had Santa here all day; we were giving out candy canes," said Burgess.
Burgess says if you plan to shop small, do it sooner rather than later to make sure the gifts you've been eyeing are in stock.
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