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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – As holiday shopping continues, small business owners in downtown Johnson City said they’re seeing more and more customers every year.
Deputy Director of Main Street Lindsey Jones said survey results from local businesses show through the Christmas season a 60% increase in shopper foot traffic from 2019 to 2021.
Jones said they’ve seen a 40 to 50% increase in sales revenue from holiday shopping to dining downtown during that time span. 2020 results were excluded due to the pandemic.
Jones said she thinks the rise in shoppers is due to the region’s increasing population size.
“I think that we’re going to continue to grow in downtown,” Jones said. “We have more people moving here, more people interested in Johnson City.”
Business owners like Michael Short at Artisans Village are happy to see more people at their checkout line.
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“Our sales have been up almost from the beginning of the year,” Short said. “This time of year is absolutely crucial, we have to do well to survive the rest of the year.”
Jones estimates more than 200 businesses call downtown Johnson City home, with new ones still popping up, like Terrarium Plant Store.
Terrarium opened a little over a year ago and Sluder said it has remained busy.
“The last week was great with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday,” Sluder said. “We were really surprised with what a huge turnout we had. We feel very supported right now, and we’re really excited for ‘Sip, Shop and Stroll’ on Friday night.”
At the event, local businesses will be offering discounts and drinks, as they continue to promote local Christmas shopping.
Tickets are $15 dollars. More information can be found here.
