Shoppers from around the Cariboo are looking for deals for their holiday shopping, but the local Chamber of Commerce in the region asks residents to support local businesses.
Ray Sanders, the president of the Williams Lake & District Chamber of Commerce, said that this holiday season could be magical for local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our local businesses are the people that live next door to us. They’re the people that make up the fabric of our community,” he said. “A lot of businesses have struggled mightily. The very fabric of our business community and of our province is small businesses, and they’ve suffered the most. The holiday season could really be a lifesaver to preserve and protect a lot of those businesses which are real jobs and contribute in many ways to our community.”
Sanders said that plenty of businesses have options depending on how people want to shop.
“A lot of our businesses are delivering their products online, but many haven’t or can’t yet have online options, but a lot of our businesses do have a delivery option, and they also have options for purchases to be picked up,” he said. “Either way, I believe that every business that I’m aware of is COVID safe, and they have the shoppers and their worker’s safety of the utmost concern.”
He added that there are many ways to still get deals and support local businesses this holiday season.