Editor's Note: These stories represent the final installment of Home for the Holidays, a three-part series designed to reacquaint Britt residents with their local retail stores and the benefits of shopping local this Christmas season.

In order to make sure her businesses remain successful, Char Fedders has always believed the philosophy that if businesses are not continually changing, businesses will continue to die.

This is why Fedders makes it her mission to always keep up with the newest ideas and merchandise in both of her Britt stores-Fedders HealthMart Pharmacy and My Front Porch, located at 52 and 42 Main Ave. N., respectively.

“Retailers are constantly changing,” Fedders said. “If you're looking for something for someone who has everything, you can probably get something here you have never seen before.”

Although the drug store has been in business for the better part of a century, Fedders took ownership of the store 18 years ago.

Fedders HealthMart primarily serves as a pharmacy, but Fedders said the store also aims to be a premier area gift shop.

Fedders said the drug store offers a variety of gifts for all ages, but is predominantly geared towards women although it does carry gifts for men. Shoppers browsing the aisles of the store can find anything from humorous to sentimental items, home décor and jewelry.

In 2002, Fedders opened My Front Porch adjacent to the drug store. The coffee house, which also serves lunch six days a week, boasts numerous kitchen gifts, décor, gadgets, linens and dishes.

“My Front Porch is definitely geared toward the kitchen,” Fedders said.

The shop will soon carry wines from Iowa wineries.

Fedders said she and her staff begin gearing up for the holiday season as early as January. The earlier the stores begin to plan for Christmas, the easier it is to remember what sold and what was popular the holiday prior.

“We try to find unusual things-things you won't find in big-box stores,” Fedders said. “If we wait till August or September, all of the good stuff is sold out.”

Planning at My Front Porch begins a little later since the store does not typically carry as much holiday merchandise. Fedders said one of the biggest things she and the My Front Porch staff plan are the decorative holiday themes that make the store more festive.

“We try to plan different tree themes each year and try to have cohesiveness,” Fedders said.

One of the unique things about the holiday decorations in My Front Porch is the fact a majority of them are re-sellable.

Fedders said holiday shopping is often a year-round event at both of her stores.

“We see people picking up gifts as early as summer,” Fedders said.

Both stores hold holiday open houses before December in an effort to acquaint shoppers with merchandise long before the shopping season kicks off. Fedders also said she tries to do a little extra for her customers around the holidays. This Sunday, a showing of the movie “The Polar Express” will be held at the drug store. Store employees will serve cookies and hot chocolate, and children will get the opportunity to have their pictures taken with Santa.

Fedders said one of the biggest challenges of being a small business owner is finding enough time to do all the things she would like to do in her stores. She also said it is a challenge to keep residents in town when larger discount stores offer similar merchandise.

“We aim for quality,” Fedders said. “I believe a more expensive item will often be the least expensive thing you buy in the long run.”

One of the benefits of shopping local, Fedders said, is the friendliness offered by store employees. She said it is also easier for staff to call customers by name and remember their likes and dislikes.

“I think we can help them more when we know them,” Fedders said. “It's nice to be recognized as an individual and not a number.”

She said it is also more convenient to stay in Britt when residents are shopping for Christmas.

Fedders said residents of Britt are lucky to have the diversity they do in their choices for shopping. She said if residents frequent their local businesses, it becomes mutually beneficial to both the customer and the business owner because money stays local and goes back into the community.

“This community carries just about everything you need,” Fedders said. “Growing businesses and a growing town go together.

“It attracts people here, helps the town grow and makes it a great place to live.”

In the mean time, Fedders said she will continue to go out of her way to make sure her customers always have something that is new and high quality, complete with a personal touch.

“If we don't have what you're looking for, we will try to find it,” Fedders said. “It's so much fun to have customers come back and to have that relationship with them-big stores just can't do that.”

Individuality important at Extreme Embroidery

By Sarah Sly, Reporter

Extreme Embroidery: extreme talent, extreme service-extreme hours?

While it may seem like it to some, it doesn't phase Darlene Weber, owner of Extreme Embroidery in Britt.

“This is the third day this week that I've been here since 4:30 a.m.,” Weber said. “That's just the way it is when there is work to be done.”

The long hours don't bother Weber mostly because she has found herself extremely fortunate to own a business in the receptive Britt community. Extreme Embroidery is now in its third year of operation.

“The community has been a breeding ground for many of the ideas and products that I have featured in the store,” Weber said. “It's a great feeling when I have something on display-a customer likes it and wants me to help them make it their ‘own.'

“It's all about the personalization.”

And while personalization is Weber's specialty, so is customer service. No order is too big or small.

“I make it my priority to make customers feel as if we are working one-on-one,” Weber said. “It's very important that the customer feels like an individual, and not just another order that needs to be completed.”

Among embroidery, Weber also features services such as screenprinting, zipper repair, quilting and 3-D trophies and awards, the most current division of her business.

“The addition of trophies and awards has gone over quite well,” Weber said. “It allows individuals to say ‘thank you' in a special way.”

Weber's customer base varies from companies and organizations seeking personalized, promotional pieces to those who are last-minute shoppers, attempting to turn an ordinary gift into an extraordinary gift.

“No matter the order or purpose, customer service is the bottom line,” Weber said. “It's 99 percent me on the production end of things, and it's important to be in contact with the customer every step of the way-even after completion.”

While most would be frazzled starting the work day at 4:30 a.m., Weber stays focused on the Christmas holiday, turning out one project after another.

“Once you start [on holiday projects], you just have the drive to keep going. Because you know you're creating a very special, and also personalized gift. for someone this year.”

But while other vendors are busy trimming trees and playing Christmas tunes, Weber finds her holiday preparations to the tune of something much different; her own creative process. Rather than ready her store with seasonal decor, Weber also resorts to her creative juices, attempting to fashion a special product for her customers with every holiday season.

“Every year I attempt to create a new, and unique product for my customers, something they can't find anywhere else. Sometimes the product comes from something I see in a craft magazine or from a customer's suggestion. Either way, the end product is something I am very satisfied with, and so are they.”

In addition to the creation of a new product every year, Weber also offers that of traditional holiday offers such as gift wrapping and decorating, in hopes to promote seasonal cheer.

But regardless of the extra distance Weber goes to for her customers, corporate businesses still pose obstacles without fail.

“There's always going to be something corporate is going to offer that we, as small businesses can't. But one entity they can never beat is that of hometown hospitality and a genuine care and respect for customers. They appreciate that.”

And although corporate doesn't hold a candle to the small-town atmosphere, there are some elements that cannot be reckoned with.

“We realize it's not realistic to buy everything here in Britt, and we know, that when it comes down to it, that's something very difficult to compete with. However, we can still extend the above and beyond offer to our customers, and that helps to keep it local in the future.”

But keeping it local is more than just the friendly face and personalized service.

“Keeping it local to me is about what we, as individual vendors, can bring to this community. To see our businesses help further the success of this community is a positive reinforcement for what we're doing. Staying local is about helping to foster the growth of your community.”

Extreme Embroidery is located at 26 Main Avenue South in Britt, and is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.