Spring has sprung downtown

courtesy photo

Your senses aren’t deceiving you—spring has arrived in Downtown Hammonton!

From the flowers planted downtown by generous MainStreet Hammonton volunteers to new spring products in your favorite shops, it’s hard not to enjoy this time of year. While we collectively wake from our winter slumber and life seems to regain a rosy glow, it’s the perfect time of year to reflect on what makes Downtown Hammonton so vibrant: our local business community.

Some small businesses may have a hard time in the winter, especially after the holiday season rush. Those dark, dreary and cold months can really have an impact, not just on a business’ bottom line but on the morale of employees and owners alike. As we approach Mother’s Day, graduation season, summer birthdays and vacations, I’d like to challenge Gazette readers to consider doing at least a portion of their shopping in Downtown

Hammonton.

While you may shop elsewhere for a variety of reasons, I guarantee that our locally-owned shops downtown have friendlier faces, more unique products and more “local flair” than national chain stores–I bet you’ll leave feeling happier, more satisfied and proud of where your money is going.

It’s been said that consumers “vote with their dollar.” When you make a purchase, you’re selecting and endorsing the product, service, or establishment where you shopped. By shopping downtown and supporting the business community that has played a significant role in Hammonton’s revitalization efforts since the 1980s, you are essentially “casting a vote” for a small business to stay in existence. What a superpower!

It has been proven that dollars spent locally recirculate in the local economy many times more than dollars spent in multinational chain corporations; by sponsoring a local event or sports team, by purchasing a Mother’s Day gift from a local boutique or salon, or by celebrating a graduation with dinner at a local restaurant, you are keeping Hammonton’s economy strong. Your purchase from one shop may be “paid forward” in the form of the owner treating their team to lunch, shopping locally for their childs' prom outfit, or booking a spa day. By supporting, uplifting and prioritizing our small business community, we are improving life for ourselves, as well. We are actively creating a better world in which we want to live, with bustling downtowns, successful and unique businesses, and deeper community ties.

To stay updated on what MainStreet is doing, visit our website www.downtownhammonton.com or follow us on social media @downtown.hammonton.

Mica McCullough is the MainStreet Hammonton Executive Director.