Why should you do your  Christmas shopping in Arthur?
 First and foremost, when you spend your money here more of it stays in Arthur and you are supporting the local businesses that tirelessly support this community in so many ways. Local sports teams and cultural events are sponsored by local businesses. Door prizes, and those in the silent auctions and on the penny tables at bazaars and community events are donated by local businesses.
You will be amazed at what you can find right here at home, at comparable prices to the big box stores in neighbouring communities. Our local merchants are ordering in extra stock, decorating their windows and participating in local promotions. The 2011 Arthur and District Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Downtown Arthur Christmas Contest. All shoppers need to do is pick up a bright red passport from any participating merchant, visit at least 10 businesses on the passport and get it stamped and then drop it in the mail slot at Arthur’s Christmas Headquarters and you may win the big prizes – a Sony 40-inch LCD TV, a 2GB E-Reader or a $50 gift certificate for L&M. And, if you get stamps from all the businesses on the card you could win “the coveted basket ‘o gifts.”   
In addition to the Downtown Arthur Christmas Contest, look for your Local Shopping Guide being delivered this weekend with your flyer packages, brought to you by the Arthur Enterprise News and the Mount Forest Confederate.  Try shopping Arthur and Wellington North first -- it’s a great idea.
Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be hectic chore… driving to the mall, finding a parking spot, fighting the crowds in the big impersonal stores. Instead stroll through the downtown, drop in and greet your friends and neighbors who own and/or work at local stores. They will give you personalized service – for example the sales clerk could very well know the perfume your wife or girlfriend tried recently, the types of tools your husband or boyfriend has been looking at, the size of clothing your wife wears or what’s on her wish list when it comes to jewellery.
It’s also good to look outside the box when it comes to Christmas gifts. How about a gift certificate for pampering at one of our local spas, a gym membership, a voucher for housecleaning or grass cutting or snow removal or even a tree to plant in the front yard come spring?  You can give the gift of travel, a gift basket filled with foodstuffs or cosmetics, vouchers for movie rentals along with popcorn, a make-your-own pizza kit. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.
By supporting our local businesses, we are ensuring that our downtown remains vibrant. When you buy local, we all win.
And, please remember, a gift certificate to The Arthur Enterprise News is a gift that will be delivered to the recipient’s door each and every week throughout the year to come.
Call 519-323-1550 to purchase a subscription at our special Christmas discount rates.