As winter and numerous holiday celebrations start to ramp up, shopping locally has never been more important for businesses in Leelanau County to continue thriving.
Last week, many stores were readying for just that. There were events scattered throughout the county — from the Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce Holiday in the Village, to the Northport tree lighting festivities on small business Saturday — where various familyfriendly activities and sales helped encourage community members and their families to stop by, have fun, and show their support.
Amy Peterson, owner of the Front Porch gift shop in Suttons Bay, said they tend to look at Black Friday and small business Saturday as one big event, with both days typically being really busy. Peterson said people in the area love to support local shops and makers, noting that they see a lot of the same customers come back every year.
“Business is really good, we’ve already sold out of a lot of things,” Peterson said. “I think people’s lives here in Leelanau are maybe a bit more intentional — you choose to live here because of what it has to offer on a variety of levels, and that includes the personal connection with the business community and the natural beauty… There isn’t a lot of margin for sitting out on the sidelines, it takes all of us.”
The Front Porch carries a wide array of products and brands, but customers have been showing great interest for items from Nora Fleming, Jellycat, and Geometry, as well as for local candles, Christmas ornaments, and specialty foods. Peterson said they’re known as the up north kitchen store, so people that need to entertain, cook, or host tend to shop there, too.
The month of December is comparable to June business, Peterson explained, and is a time when support from the community is vital as the colder months are more quiet.
“I think people understand the significance of shopping local and that we can all reinvest in the local economy,” she said. “Education is the right word in terms of the significance of shopping locally, but it’s always going to be really important if you want these communities to thrive and be. It’s really important that we’re purchasing as much locally as we can.”
Sarah Eggert, owner of The Pennington Collection in the village of Northport, said weather conditions play a huge role in the amount of traffic and seasonal business they see at the shop. Summer is the best time for good business though, Eggert added, but the busy holiday weekend after Thanksgiving is the last big push for the season.
“Local people tend to get out, there’s more activities in the village because they’re still open, but it gets frustrating when businesses aren’t open and people get tired of driving up here and there’s nothing to do,” Eggert said. “It’s really hard. Christmas is not going to be what it was, and (shopping) online plays a part in that too…” Customers are looking for price ranges across the board. Eggert said some go straight to the clearance racks in the back as soon as they get to the store, while others just like to look around or have a specific item in mind that they’d like to purchase.
“For the most part people are pretty open. I think everybody works with a budget,” she said. “... but we cover the gamut, we have little trinkets for $1, and then we have Christmas trees for $150 that glitter and light up and shimmer.”
Similar to The Front Porch, Pennington Collection has been selling a lot of Jellycat brand toys and home decor, candles and fragrances by Thymes Frasier Fir, and Amaryllis flower bulbs in wax. Christmas cards and felted wool ornaments have also been a hit and something that’s been very popular during the beginning of the holiday season.
Just across the road in Northport is The Find North, a lifestyle general store that has locations in both the village and in Leland. Callie Craker, the store’s general manager, said Black Friday and the weekend of small business Saturday generally gets them decent traffic as their storefront is situated right next to the village Christmas tree in Northport where so many gather. Leland is relatively busy as well, Craker added, who explained that business has been mostly consistent, helping them meet their targets and goals.
“We have some really amazing local shoppers that come in and they do a large majority of their shopping within Northport and Leland, so they know what their budget is and they come in and support the local businesses,” Craker said. “Summer is our busy season, but we do see a little lull between September and October, and in November we pick up just a touch. It does seem to be a little bit slower than last year, but we’re still feeling pretty optimistic.”
