WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Are small businesses feeling the pinch?
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The Christmas spirit came alive Friday night in downtown Lexington.
"I think Lexington is one of the prettiest towns I've ever seen especially when they decorate for Christmas," says Lexington resident Marlene Bennington.
Local events are also important because they bring people to downtown.
"I love going into the shops, very unique and I really like to support local merchants," says Roanoke resident Laura Sigvist.
That's exactly what merchants want to hear, especially during these tough economic times.
"It's affecting us. We're all seeing number down fro previous years," says William McCorkel, owner of McCorkle's Hallmark.
That's why these small businesses are working harder to bring in customers.
Downtown merchants aren't exactly doing anything new this year they've just brought back old traditions that have been successful in the past. Take Christmas bingo where you have the chance to win a $500 dollar shopping spree in downtown Lexington.
Many of the downtown businesses have also just started a discount card program.
They hope these promotions will make the Christmas retail season a good one.
"My job is to be optimistic so I am. I am concerned, but I'm optimistic. We'll do okay, but we're no different than everybody else so it will be a challenging time," says Sammy Moore with the Lexington Chamber of Commerce.
A challenging time for many but at least one business owner isn't convinced this year will be any different from previous ones.
"If the media in particular would stop scaring people about how bad the economy is things would sort of themselves out a lot faster," says Celtic Tides owner, John Morman.
That way we can enjoy, rather than worry, about the holidays.
