For shoppers in Bedford, it wasn’t a difficult task to open up their wallets to shop local. 

“It’s easy!” said Ron Huebbers, “You have the candies shop, Hebrews Coffee, we got Bird’s Nest, we had lunch at Bird’s Nest. So we go down, we do all the shopping. I do all the paying, a match made in heaven!”

And it’s showing. Shop owners are claiming bigger business than they had last year. 

Michael Stipanovic of Bird’s Nest Cafe explained, “Last year we served 122 people on the same day. We’re passed that already today which says something that, you know ,that keeps on growing and it’s a good thing to see people out and about and enjoying the community.”

For Katie Bullington of Madelyn Rose Children’s Boutique, the environment of Downtown Bedford has set up local businesses for success. She says they are constantly recommending each other and working together to improve downtown.

Bullington said, “All the business owners in town we really get a long well and support each other and that’s what’s really important is the relationships in small business.”

That reinvestment and camaraderie in the community is something that Main Street Manager Tonya Grimes believes is why people should shop local. She believes it’s the small businesses that help grow the community by sponsoring teams and investing in schools. 

Grimes explained, “Whenever somebody is deciding where to spend their money, they’re going to spend it anyway for Christmas or birthday or something throughout the year. Stop and think. Where is my money going to be invested?  If it is invested into a small town community, that money goes back into the community often times.” 

For others, it’s about the relationships and interactions that a small business can provide. 

Huebbers said, “It really brings out the feeling of family and Christmas. It’s really cool.” 

The shop owners are currently in a competition that will run through December. Shoppers can choose their favorite decorated store fronts by dropping change into boxes at checkout. The funds collected will help with the street decorations in downtown.