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Local Retailers Hope To See Lots Of Shoppers

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Major retailers report strong holiday sales so far.  Now, as Mike Schuh reports, some local retailers are trying to get some of the attention.

Packed parking and mobbed malls--maybe the key instead is to get outside the box and onto Main Street, USA.

Credit card companies came up with the idea of Small Biz Saturdays.  Register your card, buy local and they'll give you $25 for supporting local.

"Two people right away.  As soon as we were open.  They knew about it so they came in right away," said Kelly Falkenstine.

This small business owner praises that program and another the city of Havre de Grace has to promote local.

At the local coffee shop next door, there's talk about the need to keep local money in local cash registers.

"There are going to be needs to go to those chains but as you go through the process of buying this year, think local first," said Bridgitte Peters.

"Now Hometown America is starting to come back and people are starting to open businesses and come back," said Jay McSpadden.

"It's comfort.  You don't get that in the mall.  You get fake comfort, you get plastic comfort.  Here, you get real comfort," said Fr. Bill Burt.

Sometimes explaining the need to go local is easy.

"My father was a self-employed businessman.  We support the local guy just trying to make a go of it," said Kim Malat.

But without local support during times like this, the community loses.

"Beyond family, community is everything.  We can't live alone," Burt said.

The National Retailers Foundation predicts that overall sales this season will be up by almost two and a half percent.

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