CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio — As shoppers gear up for Amazon Prime Week and other big-box sales, businesses in Chagrin Falls are making their own pitch: shop small and shop local.
For 12 years, Haven boutique owner Cori Inbrigiotta has been dressing not just her clients, but also becoming part of their lives.
“We know your life. We know where you went on vacation. We know what’s going on in your family,” Inbrigiotta said.
Inbrigiotta knows shoppers can easily find cheaper clothes online or at large chain stores. But for her and other small business owners in Chagrin Falls, the choice to shop local means more than just a sale.
“This community is aware that you could easily shop online… you could easily shop big box even if it’s not online,” she said. “But the fact that they come to Chagrin Falls, to support local, you make that choice is more meaningful than any of us can really say.”
That message is at the heart of a recent post on the Downtown Chagrin Falls Facebook page, calling on the community to opt out of Prime Week and instead visit neighborhood shops.
“When you’re in front of your computer ordering from Amazon on Prime Week, we can offer just so much more of that personal touch,” said Molly Gembler, president of the Chagrin Falls Merchants Association.
Gembler and Mayor William Tomko say shopping locally keeps dollars in the community and helps preserve the unique charm that draws people to Chagrin Falls in the first place.
“It contributes to the lifestyle and really everything of the whole community,” Tomko said.
Shoppers like David Roth say they value the experience of seeing, feeling, and buying in person.
“I don’t want to see it for the first time after I bought it,” Roth said.
For others, like friends Debbie Heiman and Anne Panos, shopping in Chagrin Falls is more than a transaction; it’s a tradition.
“We come here for Christmas shopping in October, November. It’s our time together and finding gifts,” Panos said.
That local loyalty has helped business owners like Sharon Tortola stay open for more than 23 years.
“We have such a great vibe,” Tortola said. “If you walk down the street, you’ll see people you know, look at the flowers, look at the coffee shop, people that are walking around.”
Gembler put it simply: “If it’s good enough for Taylor Swift, it’s good enough for anybody,” she said, making reference to the pop star's recent visit to local Chagrin Falls restaurant Jojos. “But to be honest with you, anybody who visits Chagrin Falls will be treated like you’re Taylor Swift.”
The message from Chagrin Falls is clear: shopping small isn’t small at all.
