On the 12 days to Christmas back locals this festive season

Published on 13 December 2024

With just 12 days to go until Christmas, the City of Hobart and the Confederation of Greater Hobart Business are encouraging everyone to shop local and experience the unique benefits of supporting Hobart’s businesses during the festive season.

Shopping locally not only supports local jobs and businesses but also contributes to the vibrancy of our city.

Hobart's businesses are spreading festive cheer through the city, with 39 shops taking part in the Hello Hobart Christmas Window Display Competition.

This year the standard is extremely high, showcasing the festive spirit with everything from handmade decorations to charming tableaus.

One such store is Homeroom Design, which was a recipient of the City of Hobart’s Storefront Excellence business grant, which employs six staff.

Located in Bidencopes Lane, it offers a range of fashion, homewares and design, providing a good reason to explore Hobart’s alleys and lanes to find the perfect gift this Christmas.

Locals are encouraged to visit the participating stores, view the window displays, and vote for their favourite in the People’s Choice Award before entries close at midnight this Sunday.

Voters also go into the draw to win a double pass to the Taste of Summer.

An online map of participating stores showcases the spread of businesses across the city.

Hello Hobart, in collaboration with participating businesses, has also developed a series of Christmas gift guides, to make shopping local seamless this season.

To view the Christmas gift guides and for more details on how to vote in the Window Shop competition, visit the Hello Hobart website.

Quotes to be attributed to Acting Hobart Lord Mayor Dr Zelinda Sherlock:

“Every dollar spent locally helps support small businesses, their employees, and our local economy.

“This festive season, it’s more important than ever to show our support for Hobart’s incredible array of shops, makers, and creators.

“We’re thrilled with the level of participation this year, and the Christmas window displays have created a wonderful sense of community among our local businesses.

“It’s a great way to add festive spirit to your shopping while supporting local retailers.

“Whether you’re shopping for gifts, fashion, or homewares, there’s something for everyone in Hobart.

“This competition highlights the creativity and passion of our business community and provides another reason to explore our city this Christmas.”

Quotes to be attributed to Confederation of Greater Hobart Business Chairman Edwin Johnstone:

"The cost-of-living crisis has made it a challenging year, but Hobart small businesses are a resilient lot and are grateful for the support this festive season.

"Hobart is the premier shopping destination with a range of stores and local products the suburban shopping centres don’t have.

"Apart from fantastic clothes stores and cafes, Hobart has stores selling books, art supplies, toys, maps, pets supplies, fishing, camping, the list goes on.

"Shopping locally not only creates jobs, keeps money in the community, it nurtures a sense of community as shown by the wonderful Christmas window displays."

Quotes to be attributed to Homeroom Design Co-Owner Lucy Gott:

“We've loved being a part of this year's Christmas window competition.

“It's a great opportunity to get into the holiday spirit not only for ourselves, but our customers and helps create a great buzz in the city.

"A lot of thought and love goes into our store displays so for our little boutique that is tucked away down a laneway, the competition is a great way for new customers to discover the store and to help encourage more foot traffic and business.

"We try to stock a broad range of gifts for everyone and every budget so that our lovely customers don't have to shop online, but can find everything they need in the one destination locally.

"We have a mix of Australian as well as Tasmanian designers and we try to bring brands that aren't accessible elsewhere in Hobart so that our customers can choose to shop locally instead of online.

"As a small business, community support means the world and we greatly appreciate each and every customer who chooses to shop with us."