With the Bathurst Business Council noting that local retailers are facing tough times, certain shop owners are staying positive in the face of testing times.
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There is no denying that many businesses in town are feeling the pinch when it comes to Christmas trading, but some store owners are keeping plenty of faith.
Gorgeousness co-owner Kate Hemsworth has been pleased with the trade of the boutique store so far during the Christmas period.
“Trading has been steady, and for the most part, the store has been quite busy," Ms Hemsworth said.
The results for Gorgeousness have been positive in the face of the drought, which has had an effect on certain members of the community in terms of their Christmas spending capacity.
“It is down a little bit, but generally speaking, we’re still having plenty of people coming through the doors,” Ms Hemsworth said.
“We’re still trading okay, which is surprising considering the drought.”
Along with the effects of the drought, a key challenge for local retailers is encouraging people to buy locally in the face of competitive online markets.
“When you buy local, you’re keeping money in Bathurst and providing more jobs for people,” Ms Hemsworth said.
“Buying locally enables shops like ours to stay open and provide a unique range of gifts for shoppers.”
Ms Hemsworth’s sentiments are shared by BooksPlus Bathurst owner Kathryn Bancroft, who is proud to be involved in plenty of initiatives to encourage the community to shop locally.
“Buying local keeps people employed and ensures businesses continue to turn over,” Ms Bancroft said.
“There’s the Bathurst Buy Local Gift Card scheme, which is a fabulous initiative because it can be used as so many businesses in town.”
The Bathurst Buy Local Gift Card scheme was launched in 2015 to promote economic growth in the Bathurst region.
Why Leave Town [WLT], the same organisation behind the Bathurst Buy Local Gift Cards, recently launched the 2018 Bathurst Drought Buster promotion to support those bearing the brunt of the big dry.
Ms Bancroft said a key positive of local businesses is their support for local initiatives.
“We support a lot of schools, so there are a lot of things that do keep going even if there isn’t a lot of money to spare,” she said.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
