Long Island Merchants Urge Patrons To Shop Local For The Holidays

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The countdown is on! With Chanukah starting on Tuesday and Christmas just two weeks away, some Long Island merchants are launching promotions to lure you in and keep you close.

With Santa on mainstreet joined by twelve-foot toy soldiers, retailers are getting creative bringing buyers back to downtown.

"This was a booming, thriving retail destination for decades," Bay Shore merchant Drew Allt told CBS2's Jennifer McLogan. "Then the mall came."

It's led to many tough holiday seasons, but Allt is now celebrating ten years of business in Bay Shore. He says he found the Radio City Music Hall statues at a flea market and decided to put them up at the corner of Ocean and Main. They've become a big draw unto themselves.

14 miles east, Patchogue is also experiencing a renaissance.

"You support your neighbor, that's the essence of family, that's the essence of the holiday spirit," business owner James Skidmore said.

With 700 new apartments and dining and theater scenes taking off, it's easy to forget about the transformation in retail. Local merchants are stimulating shoppers with ease of parking, later hours, prizes, and even raffles.

They've even formed the first "retailers committee."

"We shine a light on some of the unique retail opportunities in the village here now," committee member John Murray said.

Their message is a simple one; holiday shopping in your own backyard.

"A vibrant main street has a direct relationship of what your property value is," David Kennedy from the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce said.

Some merchants are even volunteering as financial advisors, suggesting to shoppers to set a budget, limit your visit, stick to cash, relax, and smile.