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Friday, September 22, 2023

Mayor Huffman and Special Guests Talk Shopping Small this Holiday Season

This week on Minute with the Mayor, Mayor John Huffman shows the importance of shopping small this holiday season with two special guests — Councilmember Amy Torres-Lepp and The Toy Maven Owner, Candace Williams.

“Shopping small” is a movement used to encourage customers to spend their money with local businesses that give back to the community, rather than with larger corporations. The trio spent time in the Shops of Southlake Toy Maven location discussing how the intentionality of your dollar can go farther than you think.

“We’re your friends. We’re your neighbors. We go to sporting events with the children, and when you support small businesses, you support local families.” said Councilmember Torres-Lepp.

Additionally, Mayor Huffman brought up how money spent in Southlake has financial benefits for the City as well. “Every dollar you spend here in Southlake — that’s retail dollars and tax dollars that come back to the General Fund,”  Mayor Huffman stated. The General Fund “accounts for all activity not specifically accounted for in other funds. It includes such operations as police, fire, engineering, planning, finance, and administration.”

This means that City-funded programs and projects are directly and positively impacted by consumer expenditures in Southlake.

Although there are great financial reasons to shop small, Williams said one of her favorite things about having a small business and working with the community is being able to interact face-to-face with customers and provide an experience unlike anything else. “It’s nice to watch kids come in and see the wonder on their face,” said Williams. “But when you come in here, our amazing staff will ask you questions: What is your child interested in? What do they love to do?”

This extra emphasis on customer service provides a personalized and attentive approach, making for a special memory every time.

While there are many places to choose from to spend your holiday dollars, please consider shopping locally. For a full list of businesses in Southlake, visit our Southlake Business Database. 

To watch this week’s episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.

The Christmas Shoppe Celebrates Holidays All Year Long

With 100 degree temperatures stretching ahead as far as the eye can see, thinking about Christmas provides a cool respite. To get fully into the holiday spirit this summer, visit The Christmas Shoppe in Southlake Town Square which debuts its Christmas showroom and merchandise August 1.

But don’t be deceived by the name. Since re-opening March 3 as a year round store, The Christmas Shoppe has celebrated other holidays with festive displays and decorations for Easter, Mother’s Day and Fourth of July. And up until now, an extensive selection of upscale home décor and accents have filled the space including baskets, pillows, artwork, frames, candles, vases, silk floral arrangements, and personalized gift items.

According to Manager Jennifer Looft, the store will close July 21-31 to transition into a holiday wonderland. A close-out sale will be held July 18-20 for the existing merchandise.

“We made the decision to open year round because we had customers coming in during the Christmas season asking us to carry home décor and high-end silk flower arrangements. We have gained new customers who found us for other reasons besides Christmas,” says Looft, noting there are three silk floral designers on staff who specialize in custom work and do in-home consultations.

Adhering to the philosophy that it’s never too early to start planning for Christmas, Looft and her team will erect and decorate more than a dozen trees and create seven fireplace vignettes inside the store showcasing the vast selection of garland, wreaths, trees, decorations and gifts. Themes are created for every taste including traditional, whimsical and rustic.

“People can come into the store and purchase items from the showroom or we can come into their home and decorate,” Looft explains, adding the store owner is an interior designer and professional home stager. “In addition to Christmas, we’ll also be carrying Fall décor for Thanksgiving.”

The Christmas Shoppe is located at 1450 Main Street in Southlake Town Square. For more information, call 817-421-2402 or click here to visit its Facebook page.