As Christmas nears, downtown retailers are looking forward to an increase in business. While many stayed open for Back Friday, they didn't expect to compete with national retailers like Target and Wal-Mart.

Store owners and the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance are working to promote downtown shopping.

The coming weeks before Christmas are the most lucrative. They find consistency in their return customers and local community during the holidays.

Glen's Fair Price owner, Gary Stiteler, says, "The one thing that we really look forward to is our customers coming in, friends and people we know, and we go with personalization on that. Personal service is very very important to us. It's not just that we do it to get the customers back but we get to know our customers. So it comes to be very much a part of how it goes on."

Glen's Fair Price and seven other downtown retailers have pooled their resources for a joint marketing package in the hopes of spurring downtown business.