As the holidays approach, roads and stores are sure to be busy as people set out to find the perfect gift for the special people in their lives.
This holiday season, local businesses and the Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce want residents in around and Atmore to visit local shops first to look for all of their gift needs.

The push for people to shop in Atmore is a push to help the city’s economy as well as those who spend their days operating stores that provide Atmore with the same quality goods found outside of the city, said Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sheryl Vickery, one of the biggest proponents of shopping in Atmore..

Finding some items might be tough to find in the city, but if you do find it, purchasing it Atmore helps, Vickery said.

“The sales tax goes back into the community and also because when you stay in town and spend money at a local business, it helps keep them in business,” she said. “I know there are cases where items cannot be found in Atmore, but we encourage to shop Atmore first. If you can’t find it here, I understand, but it really helps keep this economy going.”

Shop owners around Atmore agree that it helps to spend money in Atmore because of the good it does.

The money that goes back into the taxes can be used for good around the city, Atmore Appliance co-owner Stephanie Steele said.

“When the people shop locally, it helps support the local economy, so that we can have things like better roads,” she said.

Aside from the taxes, the largest benefit helps the lives of those that run businesses in Atmore, especially with an unstable economy.

Keeping businesses afloat during the current economic times is an important part of encouraging people to shop in Atmore, Jus Because owner Tracy Miller said.

“It helps the small town businesses stay open, especially with the economy trying to build back up,” she said.
One way, businesses see a pickup is with the Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce-hosted Jingle Bell Walk.

The walk will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, in downtown Atmore, with refreshments and entertainment throughout downtown and at other local businesses.

Stores have been asked to stay open with the hopes that a large crowd finds its way to downtown to spend money at local stores, Vickery said.

“I have asked people to stay open a little bit past 5:30 p.m. We will have refreshments set up and a lot of places are going to keep their doors open. The more people that are open the more traffic will come down each street,” she said.

The Jingle Bell Walk helps show off what local businesses have to offer. Finding an item that might not have been expected is usually a pull to return to a store, Vickery said.

“It depends on what they want,” she said. “We usually hold the Jingle Bell Walk where the stores stay open a couple of extra hours, and it really encourages people to walk in a store. The problem is people don’t know what the shops in Atmore have until they actually walk in them. Then they know that they can find that item in the city and they can spend their money here.”

The Jingle Bell Walk helped businesses during last year’s holiday season.

Atmore Appliance, which like other buisnesses does not hold late hours, found new clientele, Steele said.

“The Jingle Bell Walk did help us some last year,” she said. “We stayed open and actually had customers stop by and it helped us sell some appliances. There are people that don’t get off before we close, so they had never been in our store before, and then there are people that see us staying open and stop by because we are willing to stay open later hours.”

At Jus Because, the store will have sales as well as a special guest on hand.

Pictures with Santa will be a big draw to the small shop, much like they were last year, Miller said.

“Last year’s was extremely successful,” she said. “We took more than 90 pictures, and this year, we will have pictures with Santa, great sales for the holiday and door prizes.”