BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The clock is ticking to buy those last-minute holiday presents!
Emily and Nelson Hobbs stopped by the "BuffaLove" store in Hamburg to grab some gifts.
"My husband is a self-employed contractor, so staying local and small business owners is very important to us," said Emily Hobbs. "We always check with local families who own a business first."
Store owner, Patty Watson, says this time of year is when her sales really start to skyrocket.
"This is the last couple weeks before Christmas, and it always tends to be much busier this time," Watson said.
Emily and Nelson live about two hours away and find that local shopping brings a lot more holiday spirit.
"We were at the mall last night and we could hardly move, let alone look around for anything," she said. "We're from a smaller town so being in that environment was completely stressful. This is a lot better, relaxed feel."
The relaxed-feel can help all customers be more comfortable while making these last-minute purchases.
"You don't have to fight with a mall crowd. You don't have to fight for parking," said Watson. "There are seniors. They don't want to go out into a crowd. They want to go in, pull up in front of your store, get out, grab the things they need."
Another benefit of shopping local? A personalized experience.
"I'm shopping for a baby who's 2. I'm shopping for a 10-year-old. I'm shopping for my 28-year-old. I'm shopping for my 40-year-old. We can help them one on one." Watson added.
With the holidays knocking at our doorsteps, Watson hopes she will continue to see shoppers stopping by.
"We do appreciate the fact that people intentionally come in to support a small business," she said.
