Baby it's cold outside, Windsor businesses say it's bringing in shoppers

In Walkerville, Louise Jones has changed the focus of the store. Jones and Companyhad been selling mostly vintage clothing, now it's got a little bit of everything. She said the shift in merchandise and the weather this fall has brought in more customers.

"For me it's been one of my bigger Christmases," Jones said. "The weather made a difference, because last year it took a while to cool off. This year we had that early snow, which got people thinking about Christmas."

She's also making sure to market to a wider audience by using social media. Jones even hired a person who comes in every month to see what she wants to highlight. Sometimes customers come in asking about the item up on their Instagram or Facebook page.

"You really need someone. It's like having a personal trainer," she said. "It just gets you back on track, because there's a million things to do and it's easy to get away from doing it."

On Ottawa Street, From the Heart has their store decorated for Christmas. Co-owner Jackie McCreary said the store has been around for almost 30 years, so they have a clientele that makes sure to buy local.

"It's been pretty good in the last few months," McCreary said. "We had some workshops with local authors."

She's also using social media to make sure people know what's available in her store. From the Heart also has a tradition for parents who are shopping with children.

"We have a program where you can drop your children off and we'll help them shop. We stay within your budget," McCreary said.

But parents can't go too far, they have to be available to make it back. It takes an appointment and about 45 minutes. McCreary reminds parents with a smile"don't forget to come back and get your children. It's very important."

Next door is the White Feather Holistic Arts store. Owner Tracey Rogers has had a steady holiday season. She notes the Ottawa BIA had Christmas on Ottawa Street, which brought in a lot of customers.

"We had Santa Claus here, we had hot chocolate and things available," she said. "A lot of stores have been doing their sales."

Rogers was thrilled to get a runner up prize for her store front window by the BIA. She said having businesses ready for Christmas by the end of November got the entire street ready for the holidays.