Eleven good reasons to shop Downtown Ludington:
- Unique, locally made gifts
Many of the shops Downtown have locally made and Michigan made items. Many are one of a kind! If you’re looking for a unique gift to remind someone of home – you’ll find something downtown for all ages. - You don’t have to travel
Why waste all that time in the car when you could just head down the street? The roads are slick this time of year! The box stores and malls are filled with generic products, rushing people and robotic sales associates. Spend your precious time wisely, save that gas money and stay local. - Get your steps in!
Sure, you can shop from the comfort of your chair… but combining your daily walk with your holiday shopping is a much healthier way to go. Add a few shopping bags and you get your arm workout in, too! 🙂 - Customer service
Real smiles are hard to find online. Unless one of those little chat boxes with the stock photo of a happy service rep pops up… but it’s still a pretty cold experience. The business owners downtown take pride in helping you and getting to know you so that when you come in next time they can recommend products they think you will love. - Product knowledge
Shopping online may be convenient, but having a store representative help you with choosing a product can be super helpful. They know their products well so they can answer questions and make recommendations. Trying on shoes, putting together an outfit, getting your hands on products to help you live a healthy lifestyle or suggestions for gifts for your loved ones… these are things missing from the online shopping experience. The folks downtown know their stuff. Take advantage of that. - Quality items
Box store items are mass produced cheaply so they can be cost effective. Shop downtown and you will find quality items that are built to last. Sure, you might pay a little bit more up front… but you’ll have the items for years to come. So instead of buying five “disposable” items that will deteriorate, you can buy one or two items that will last a long time. - Buy it where you try it
Trying before buying is an obvious advantage to shopping local, especially when you’re dropping a good amount of cash on an item. Knowing what you’re getting before you buy it is valuable. And remember those sale representatives that helped you try out that bike or shoe are working hard to make sure you get exactly what you want and need. Their job depends on it! If you receive helpful service locally, do the right thing and make your purchase at that business or it may not be there for you to take advantage of next time. - Local businesses invest in our community.
Events like Friday Night Live, the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and Octoberfest Chili Walk are free for everyone to enjoy. They are free because local businesses pick up the tab. They donate their money and time to putting on these events for the community. Supporting them allows them to fund the events that you love to attend. - Support your neighbor
The businesses Downtown Ludington are owned, ran and staffed by your neighbors. They are local people with a passion for what they do. They have chosen to live here  and work here. Your patronage allows them to be a positive part of this community. - Help keep the local job market thriving
The downtown businesses offer great job opportunities from entry level to professional and entrepreneurial careers. In a time when the job market is tough, supporting local businesses keep these jobs available in our area. - Keep money in the area
Studies show that 50-75% of money spent at a local business stays in the local economy. Local money pays taxes here, supports jobs here, buys necessities like food and household items here and it is given to local charities that support those in need in your community. If you want to see Ludington and the surrounding area be successful, shopping local is crucial.