LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — More people are shopping online or heading to big box stores to complete their Christmas lists during the holiday shopping season, however, some families are sticking with shopping local and it’s having a big impact.
Outback Toys, a store in Warwick Township, Lancaster County that specializes in farm toys, says they earn a large portion of their sales during the holiday season and are thankful for the community's support.
"If it wasn't for the community our store wouldn't be a thing," said Preston Heller, sales manager at Outback Toys. "So, we really do everything we can to make the shopping experience fantastic for them."
It's a season they say is the most important of them all.
"There's certainly a different feeling to the Christmas season," said Heller. "This time of the season there's very highly increased volume of people coming through the store. It is extremely crucial."
It's a holiday shopping season that Outback Toys prepares for all year long.
"Prep for the holiday season honestly starts at the end of the [previous] holiday season," said Heller. "So, by the time that Christmas passes, we are already looking on to the next year."
Families in the area are more than happy to support them. They say shopping locally is an experience you just can't replicate.
"When I order online there's nothing to it, you just push a button [and it's] over," said Maryann Gerhart, a Lititz resident who visited the store with her entire family. "This is really fun because it's an experience that we share as a family and because we find things that you can't really find everywhere."
An experience that holiday shoppers cherish.
"It’s very special to spend time, just the special shopping, not just the shopping you hurry up and do," said Brenda Moyer, who was visiting her family from Alabama. "So it’s just great to spend time with family."
"I just love being with my family and for me to share this time together it’s one of the holiday events," said Gerhart. "It’s something very special to have them be with me and we can work together on seeing what the kids like."
A memory that Outback Toys hopes they will remember for years to come.
"We took a picture right before we came in and we just wanted to share that as part of our holiday experience," said Gerhart. "So, we took a photo shoot of all of us being together, and it’s a real memory, it’s something I am going to remember the rest of my year."