December 24th, 2020 by WCBC Radio

It’s the final day to shop before Christmas, and Cumberland city officials hope many of those procrastinators choose to buy from some of the local small businesses during these last few hours. During the holiday season, which the National Retail Federation defines as running from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, retail sales are forecast by the trade group to rise between 3.6% and 5.2% from 2019 levels.  While some of the major chain stores have done well, the same can’t be said for many small town businesses. Cumberland City Councilwoman Laurie Marchini and Mayor Ray Morriss urged area residents to provide a boost for some of the local stores that have been hit hard by the pandemic this year…