Augusta, GA
Holiday shopping gives Aiken, Augusta small businesses seasonal sales boost
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – In a year marked by construction, tariffs, government shutdown threats and economic uncertainty, the holiday season provided small businesses in Aiken and Augusta with a chance to turn a hefty profit.
Business owners across the region reported strong foot traffic and sales during the critical November and December period, which helps sustain them through slower months.
Pete Swales of High Country Olive Oil on Laurens Street said Aiken’s tourism appeal brings steady customers during the holidays.
“Aiken has a lot of folks coming in and visiting and traveling and a lot of tourism. And so we get a lot of folks just walking by,” Swales said.
The holiday season represents a crucial revenue period for his business.
“Our business becomes incredibly busy in that November and December time frame. It’s probably 1/3 of the year is done inside of that month and a half,” Swales said.
Across the street at The Little Red Fox Shop, Charles Lowe reported similar holiday traffic patterns.
“Tons, tons. We get… We don’t get a lot of foot traffic all year, but we get a lot this time of year,” Lowe said.
The shop, which features items from local artists, serves as a popular destination for gift shopping.
“It’s like really from mid-November to December, we stay swamped. It’s good because, you know, that’s where you make, like, we can get through like January and February are really slow,” Lowe said.
Pink Icing Boutique opened downtown at the beginning of the holiday season and immediately saw strong customer traffic.
“This is a little over a month since we’ve been here, and I’ve seen a tremendous amount of foot traffic before and after the holidays,” said Benicia Bush of Pink Icing Boutique.
In downtown Augusta, businesses also reported sustained activity extending beyond Christmas.
Shama S. Cartwright of Rebel Lion Den said the holiday season continues to bring customers downtown.
“After Christmas, they have Kwanzaa. So it’s still a pickup, because we’re still celebrating the holiday season, so people come through from the time, say Christmas Eve, on to like now, people are coming downtown,” Cartwright said.
Business owners said warm weather during the holiday season provided an additional boost, encouraging more people to walk around downtown areas and shop for gifts.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
We recognize you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which
enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore access cannot be granted at this time.
For any issues, contact enews@wfxg.com or call 706-650-5400.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Olu Brown visited Augusta on Friday evening, stopping near the Sand Hills Community Center as early voting continues.
Brown is one of six candidates in the Democratic primary.
Campaign priorities
Brown said his vision as governor would focus on three main areas.
“One, it’s affordability around health care and making sure we expand Medicaid and expand Peach Care and make sure we continue to make our rural health care systems healthy and vital,” Brown said. “Number two, we’ve got to address education in all of Georgia, making sure every kid in Georgia gets an excellent education, and we’re paying our teachers more. And number 3, we’re protecting the rights of all women. Folks in the Gold Dome shouldn’t be making decisions about their bodies or the choices that they make.”
Brown is running against Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta Prep student was arrested on a charge of terroristic threats over a picture of a LEGO gun he posted on social media.
It happened Wednesday, according to an incident report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Eric Hedinger, the principal of Augusta Preparatory Day School, told deputies a student had uploaded a picture to Snapchat of a “pistol” with the caption “shooting up the school so I don`t have to take the stats exam tomorrow. Don`t come yall!”
The principal said he spoke to the student and his father about the photo.
The principal also provided deputies with the student’s address in Grovetown.
A deputy went there and was told by the student that the “pistol” was a LEGO set that he had built.
He also said the comment he made was supposed to be a joke because he was not looking forward to taking his Advanced Placement statistics test this week.
The student showed the deputy the box that the LEGO set came in, and how the set was already disassembled.
The deputy also looked in the boy’s room to make sure he was not in possession of any weapons.
The mother advised that there was one firearm in the residence but it was locked up.
The deputy contacted Judge Leslie Morgan and she issued a warrant for terroristic threats.
The student, age 18, was taken into custody and transported to the Columbia County Detention Center.
News 12 is not reporting his name or publishing his photo since the LEGO gun could not have actually harmed anyone.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
-
Alaska4 minutes agoAlaska Republicans reelect Carmela Warfield as party chair
-
Arizona10 minutes agoWhere to watch New York Mets vs Arizona Diamondbacks: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 10
-
Arkansas16 minutes agoArkansas’ data race | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
-
California22 minutes agoAfter exile, California tribes could help run their ancestral redwoods again
-
Connecticut34 minutes ago
Alicia (Plikaitis) Helen Junghans Obituary
-
Delaware40 minutes agoMiddletown runs away with record, team title at New Castle County meet
-
Florida46 minutes agoPalm Bay, Florida parents of premature twins held NICU wedding
-
Georgia52 minutes ago‘We’re champs’: How Georgia baseball soaked up first SEC title in 18 years