Retail

Claire Riche loves downtown Augusta and enjoys promoting businesses in that part of town. Riche is organizing the second Support Downtown Augusta Trick or Treat on Broad Street event. The free event, sponsored by Mod Ink, Westobou, Redemption Church, and Field Botanicals, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Broad Street between Ninth Street and 12th Street. Businesses outside of that area will have tables set up at the event. “It should be really fun,” she says. Currently, 34 businesses have signed up

Christmas is just around the corner, and customers of participating businesses throughout Aiken will have a chance to win some extra cash. The Aiken Chamber of Commerce is giving away a total of $5,000 to encourage people to shop local this holiday season. Nov.1 through Dec.13, customers who spend at least $25 at one of these 28 businesses, which include retailers, restaurants, and medical offices, will receive a red ticket and be entered in weekly drawings for chances to win cash prizes. On Dec.13, the grand prize drawing will be

For most of us, a social media outage is a minor inconvenience, but for a freelance marketing professional like Brooke Willis and the businesses she serves, it’s a more serious concern. Willis – who also owns her own business called Studio Social, provides marketing services and social media support for various local businesses, including K’s Koncepts, Apricot Lane Boutique, and FX Spine & Performance Center. When both Facebook and Instagram shut down for more than six hours on Monday, Oct. 4, she couldn’t add posts for her clients on those

ABD previously reported that Macy’s in the Augusta Mall was launching a store within a store – a 12,000-square-foot retail space on the lower level called Macy’s Backstage, which is officially open for business. The store, which had its soft opening on Saturday, Sept. 18 followed by a grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 25, features a variety of discount items, such as clothing, shoes, home décor, and toys, as well as designer handbags from Gucci and Louis Vuitton. The concept is designed to appeal to bargain shoppers, according to Abbey

A major department store in Augusta is about to give its shoppers the opportunity to save money on some of their favorite items. Macy’s – located at 3450 Wrightsboro Road, Suite D300 in the Augusta Mall, will open Macy’s Backstage inside the store’s first floor on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. The company will hold a ribbon cutting at 9:45 a.m., and the first 200 customers will receive special giveaways. The new 11,000-square-foot store within a store will feature a variety of items, including clothing, shoes, home décor, and

Kay Castro wants to take some of the hassle out of buying and selling items online, which has become an increasingly popular way to shop and earn money. Castro – owner of Martinez Drop located at 472 Flowing Wells Road, J4 behind Farmhaus Burger in Martinez, allows online sellers to drop off their items at her warehouse, and buyers pick up those items from her. Sales are generally conducted through the business’ Facebook group, and she charges a 10% fee for all items sold and picked up at Martinez Drop.

Bretta Farina launched her custom dog collar business to make a living and provide flexible job opportunities for women. Farina – owner and founder of Puddle Jumper Pups, started her online business nine years ago and estimates she’s sold about 1 million collars so far. “When my husband joined the military, I needed a job, too,” says the Tennessee native and mother of two. “I needed an income, and it needed to be flexible.” Next spring, she will open her first storefront, located at 261 Meridian Drive near Aldi and