On Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday from 1-5 p.m., various businesses in Talladega, Sylacauga and Childersburg will open their doors to guests as representatives of their respective cities’ chambers of commerce. These businesses, which include restaurants, furniture stores, jewelry stores, stores that sell knickknacks, antique shops and florists, will show local shoppers what goods are available right in their hometowns.
“It’s to get people shopping around here,” said Mack Ferguson, director of the Greater Talladega Area Chamber of Commerce. “Some people think they have to travel to shop. They drive to Birmingham or Atlanta or Oxford, and a lot of it is because they don’t know that there’s plenty here so shop at home,” Ferguson said.
“This really kicks off the holiday season and just puts everybody in that kind of mood,” said Carol Emlich-Bates, executive director of the Sylacauga Chamber, “plus it gives them something to do besides football.
“This year is special because it’s the first time all three chambers are hosting this countywide,” she added.
The idea of consolidating the individual chambers’ open houses came about a month ago when the three cities’ directors realized that this year the dates for each city fell on the same weekend. They thought it would be a unique opportunity to market the merchandising available within the county as a whole.
“We felt it would be good if we could all come together on this,” Ferguson said.
Childersburg Chamber executive director Pete Storey said the chambers have worked together on other projects and this consolidation was a way to bring them together even more.
“We each have our individual identities but show we’re part of the same county,” he said.
Emlich-Bates said the three chamber directors worked together to pool their resources on planning, coordinating and advertising.
The chambers have been advertising through newspaper, radio and television outlets to get residents to come out and discover the shopping options in their own cities.
Shoppers can also try for a chance to get something back from the shops without spending money. The three chambers will hold drawings on Monday for door prizes from individual businesses, as well as drawings for “chamber checks,” which are basically gift certificates that can be redeemed at participating chamber merchants.
People can put in their names for these drawings by simply visiting participating merchants over the weekend and picking up participation cards at the stores. Store managers will sign off on the cards. Once every merchant listed on the card is signed off, that card will be entered into the drawing for that city.
The Talladega and Sylacauga chambers will have their drawings on Monday. Childersburg will have its Sunday night after the stores close.
Post a Comment
