Last Weekend to Shop Before Christmas

With six days until Christmas, local stores are gearing up for what they say will be a very busy shopping weekend

It’s the weekend before Christmas, and a lot of small businesses in Santa Maria say it’s a good time for them because it is crunch time. Many people won’t be shopping online at this point.

The Chamber of Commerce says it all helps the community.

From a local skateboard shop, to a women and children’s clothing boutique, local businesses are gearing up for a busy weekend ahead.

Jody Montgomery, manager of Wildflower Women, said, “We expect a big turnout this weekend.”

Co-Owner of One Way Board Shop, Dan Pankratz, said, “We expect things to be really good this weekend.”

The National Retail Federation has reported that around 50 percent of holiday shoppers are not done getting all their gifts.

The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce launched its “Thanks for Shopping Santa Maria” campaign in 2010 to help keep dollars local.

Glenn Morris, CEO of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, said, “If we support our local businesses they hire our friends and neighbors, and as they are successful they support our nonprofits in the community.”

The chamber said it’s seeing an increase in revenue from the sales tax.

Pankratz said “It’s a mixed bag. We do realize how important it is for people to shop local, but the general public needs to be informed with how important it is to support their locally owned companies.”

The co-owner of One Way Board Shop will donate $1 to the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Maria Valley, for every item purchased at his store from Dec. 1 to the 24 th .