Cheyenne Chamber Leader: Merchants Having Solid Season

Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dale Steenbergen says it appears most local merchants are having a solid, but not exceptional, Christmas shopping season.

He notes final sales tax numbers won't be available for a while, but says his general sense from speaking with business people in the community and his own observations is that sales "certainly aren't off the charts good but they aren't in the dumper either."

But he adds it's important for people to shop locally as much as possible because "every dollar is important."

Steenbergen says his evaluation of the holiday season for local merchants is in keeping with what appears to be the general state of the local economy over the last few months.

He notes recent sales reports have mostly showed Laramie County collections down by 11-12 percent. He says that shows an economy "isn't in free fall anymore, which I think is a really good sign."

But at the same time the effects of low energy prices that have hit the state economy hard are still having an impact in Laramie County.