Christmas is more than toys and pretty lights and, yes, there is much commercialism of this holy holiday.
But the truth is, Christmas is the time of the year that many businesses make up to 40 percent of their sales. It is the time of year churches promote special giving to finance ministries. It is the time of year people loosen up their wallets and hand money to both businesses and charity.
It is also the time of year when people need to know what is out there, what is going on and what products are available and where.
That is where your local newspaper comes in.
To our churches and civic clubs we say your Clarksdale Press Register is always glad to promote your Christmas cantata, community meal or children’s program to bring people in the church door. We ask you get your event to us by 3 p.m. Friday for the next Wednesday’s newspaper.
To local businesses, we say the clock is ticking on this Christmas season and smart proprietors have already made their plans for their Holiday advertising.
Black Friday involved the big box stores and super specials, but it has come and gone with less spent than last year. Cyber Monday came and went and shoppers will wait two weeks for delivery of their purchase, maybe.
Now is the time for local businesses to focus on local shoppers. These customers are the men and women of our town who are looking for that special gift for family or friends and don’t want to make the drive to Batesville, Greenwood or Memphis to do their shopping.
That is – again – where your local newspaper come in.
We would like to point out the Clarksdale Press Register is distributed to high volume shoppers each week. No other medium – TV, radio, on-line – has that “reach” around here. And market data shows each Clarksdale Press Register is read by at least four people before it is finished working.
That is why we want local businesses to do the numbers.
The National Retail Federation said this week the average Christmas shopper spent about $380 shopping in any given store last year. They felt the number could rise to $400 this year.
Now if just four of those people who read your ad in the Clarksdale Press Register come into your store . . . Well, you do the numbers.
We hope our community will shop at home this Christmas season. We hope our local businesses will shop at home, too.
