- National retail sales reportedly surged by 1% in July, but local businesses in Thomasville are not seeing the same growth.
- Downtown shop owners and residents express concerns over rising costs, leading to more cautious spending habits.
- Small businesses in Thomasville are working hard to stay afloat, with some relying on strong local support to keep their doors open.
BROADCAST SCRIPT
With inflation squeezing wallets in Thomasville, local businesses and shoppers are feeling the pressure.
I'm checking in with downtown to see how rising prices are impacting our community.
National reports from the U.S. Commerce Department show a 1% surge in retail sales for July. However, in Thomasville, local businesses are feeling the pinch of inflation with no noticeable boost in sales.
April Fletcher owns Alley B Boutique, a women's fashion store that's been a downtown staple for around 20 years.
"I'd say we're pretty even to how we normally are. Of course we'd always like to have a little but people are being a little more choosy with what they spend their money on, " said Fletcher.
Jennifer Vaughn and Deb Wentworth, who usually come downtown for lunch, tell me they're more mindful of their spending nowadays.
"If I don't need it I don't buy it," said Wentworth
Fletcher tells me summer months are usually slower in retail.
"We're not a huge travel destination during the heat of the summer however we do have quite a few people that come into Thomasville just to experience our downtown appeal," said Fletcher.
She says she's grateful many locals prefer shopping local
“I would choose to shop in the downtown area for gifts rather than to try to go to a big chain box store,” said Wentworth.
Jennifer and Deb tell me they prioritize investing in high-quality gifts from stores here.
As for what's next?
"We literally just put it in gods hands, were like give us this day our daily bread, we'll get up, make enough money to keep the lights on and keep payroll met and we'll do it again tomorrow," said Fletcher.
Neighbors have been telling me that even though times are tough, they're still shopping downtown for gifts and other special items to support local businesses.
