Merchants push shopping local this holiday season

By BECKY McKENDRY
Capital News Service
LANSING – The forecast for this holiday looks to be a steady sprinkle of revenue for Michigan retailers, as local stores work to provide customer service that Internet merchants can’t offer. The Michigan Retail Index predicts an increase in holiday sales, up 1.3 percent from last year. Although that increase isn’t ideal, it is still a moderate bump that shows “cautious optimism,” said Tom Scott of the Michigan Retailers Association. “The actual numbers may turn out even better than that,” Scott said. “That survey was taken during the government shutdown when there was a lot of uncertainty.”
One important step to ensuring a jolly season for retailers: encouraging shoppers to think twice ordering online.