Shopping for the holidays amid high inflation

MISHAWAKA, Ind. - From small local businesses to big box stores, there’s a lot of opportunity for shopping in the area.

It's like walking into a winter wonderland at the Indiana Rug Company, a small local business in Mishawaka.

InRugCo serves as an old-fashioned mercantile store with a bakery, handmade textiles, ornaments, and more.

Marketing Director Clark Richardes says Christmas is one of their busiest times of year.

“We see the same amount of foot traction here, maybe just a little bit lower order value. That doesn't change, we still really love our customers. They still come out and support us, it's truly unbelievable,” said Richards.

Jake Brown, Director of Marketing at Visit South Bend Mishawaka shared that he saw tons of people at University Park Mall and downtown South Bend doing some last-minute shopping.

Shara Roughton lives here in Michiana and owns Small Business Network. She says she's excited about the love shown to small businesses in the area.

“Not only do they have their own small businesses, I found a lot of the local small businesses get their products from other local small businesses. So you should get out in the community, experience new things, you can find unique gifts that you're not going to find at a big corporate retail store and you're not feeding the CEO's. You're actually feeding a family,” said Roughton.

The holiday season is a crucial time for small businesses.

You can follow the Small Business Network Facebook page to connect with other local small businesses in the area.