According to the SBA, stores experienced a massive spike in seasonal spending throughout the holiday season. Benjamin Bond and his family were one of them. “Our growth rate over the past three months has taken off,” Bond said. Benjamin Bond and his family are the owners of Bubbly Babes. Bond says the holiday season of 2023 was a strong one for them as they slowly received a mixture of local customers and even ones from Louisiana. “The busiest day we ever had was December 23rd,” Bond said. While Bond and other businesses enjoyed their 2023, their fellow business owners had a different experience. “2023 was not better than 2022, and I am not optimistic that 2024 is going to be better than 2023. It’s just different,” Haydel said. Lauren Haydel is the CEO and founder of Fleurty Girl. Haydel and Bond say despite the rough or strong year many businesses experienced in 2023, they are encouraging business owners to be realistic and hope consumers will shop local in 2024.