Small shops find strength in numbers

Stung by a disappointing Christmas season last year, Evanston store owner Rachel Hershinow decided to get more aggressive, launching a grass-roots "shop-small" effort she hopes will help dozens of fellow merchants.

"Last year sales were down and personally, I felt sheer panic and terror," said Hershinow, owner of Stella, a women's boutique on Central Street. "I thought, I can either succumb to the fear or fight like hell."

Choosing to fight, Hershinow started a Shop Small Stores campaign, an idea she said has been adopted by many of the almost 75 business owners who belong to the Central Street merchants association.