The City of Andalusia this week began a "shop local" campaign which coincides with the reopening of most local retail businesses that were closed while Gov. Kay Ivey's pandemic "Stay at Home" order was in place.

That order expired at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 30. As retailers opened their doors Friday morning, the City began pushing out a shop local message on local media. 

"The COVID-19 pandemic has changed each of our lives in dramatic ways, many of which may have lasting effects," Mayor Earl Johnson said. "We don't know exactly what our future looks like, but we do know that we need to work together to rebuild the new normal for our community. Now is the perfect time to start."

The mayor took time Friday afternoon to visit with several local merchants who reopened on Friday. Each reported busy days with good traffic in their stores.