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Last-minute shoppers flock to small businesses in Fernandina Beach

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – Last-minute shoppers were out and about on Friday around Northeast Florida.

The National Retail Federation expects shoppers to spend an average of nearly $900 this year on gifts with 24% choosing to shop with local stores.

In a time when people could choose to shop online or with big box stores, many shoppers are coming to places like Centre Street in Fernandina Beach to make their last-minute Christmas purchases.

Sierra Mills is one of the many shoppers who ventured to Centre Street on Friday for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

“They have great gifts for my mom, my grandma, my sister, for my friends, there’s just everything. And it’s shopping small, so you’re supporting small business,” Mills said.

Ellen Schuette is visiting from Boston and was window shopping Friday, but she had a plan in mind to come back on Saturday.

“Oh God yes, but I really have to take a look and see all the kinds of things, and there’s so many streets, it’s so beautiful, and I just love the town,” Schuette said.

Mills is from Fernandina, so it’s important for her to support small businesses in town but also she likes the unique gifts she’s able to find.

“At Twisted Sisters, which is down there, they have great gifts for your mom. They have jewelry, they have ornaments, they have kitchen stuff,” she said. “The bookstore is amazing, they have any books you can think of, and also there’s a writer that lives in Fernandina so he comes in there sometimes and signs books and stuff and yeah a little bit of everything.”

For Schuette, she prefers small businesses to big box stores. She plans on coming back to shop at Olive Amelia and a sweatshirt store.

“I like the personal touch, I like going in and seeing what people have done. It’s very creative, don’t you think? It’s very creative and individual and I’d much rather be in a place like this and say thank you to the people who make this happen,” Schuette said.

And with so many options, it’s easy to find special gifts for the people you love.


About the Author
Ariel Schiller headshot

Ariel Schiller joined the News4Jax team as an evening reporter in September of 2023. She comes to Jacksonville from Tallahassee where she worked at ABC27 as a Weekend Anchor/Reporter for 10 months.

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