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MUNISING -- It's the busiest shopping season of the year for stores, and small businesses want a piece of the cash flow, too.

With more and more big chains coming to the U.P., small businesses are looking for ways to compete.

Bonnie Syers of Putvin's Drug Store in Munising says although it's tough to compete with the super stores on deals and pricing, they use their quality customer service to keep folks coming in.

"Locally owned, locally operated and the customer service, knowing that the business you're going into truly cares about you speaks volumes," says Syers.

The shop, which has been in downtown Munising since 1941, sells everything from pharmaceuticals to big screen TVs.  And if they don't have it, they'll refer you to another local shop that does.

"If people are running to Marquette or to the cities and they spend all of their money there, they forget about the small businesses in our town," says Debbie Medeau, owner of Putvins.

That's also the mission of the Open Wings Pottery Gallery in Munising, which works to support local business by selling products made entirely by U.P. artists.

"Those of us who love the U.P., I assume that's 99 percent of the people who live here, sometimes struggle to make ends meet.  The more we support each other, the more that's going to happen," says Jill Baugnet.

The shop sells items you can't get anywhere else.  Owners Jill and Thomas Baugnet even make some of the products themselves.

And in an effort to get folks to shop locally, the Alger County Chamber of Commerce is challenging residents to do 75 percent of their holiday shopping at local businesses.

Char Carberry of the Downtown Development Association plans on doing 100 percent of her holiday shopping locally, and she wants her neighbors to do the same.

"It's all about keeping your money local so you reinvest back into your community so the people standing behind counters have jobs," says Carberry.

Local shops in Munising have put signs up to promote the campaign.

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