Shoppers support local stores for Small Business Saturday

“I think that you will find that you get better service here, at least that’s our goal”.

American Express officially launched “Small Business Saturday” on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2010 with a mission to support hometown (and many home-grown) businesses. In fact, some downtown shops got a boost thanks to a national campaign called “Small Business Saturday”.

If the customers got a BINGO they had the opportunity to win a prize basket. Usually with most small businesses the owner is always there, or nearly always there.

Stores were busy preparing for one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year and while most would expect it was for Black Friday, one local store owner said she was actually more excited about Saturday.

“A big thing for Small Business Saturday is letting people know where their dollar is going when they spend it locally”. It also provides free marketing materials to small businesses.

The Biloxi boutique owner says she loves Small Business Saturday, and what it stands for.

The shop has local and worldwide items, but they all have one thing in common: they’re pretty unique, and that’s these shoppers said they’re looking for something unique from a local store. It keeps your community interesting, it keeps your dollars local.

Small Business Saturday has grown into a major economic boom for independent businesses in downtown Lafayette and the country.

“I have supported local friends who have started businesses. Especially creative businesses that can help people make their holiday special with unique custom products that are made locally”, said Jeff Lyden, Operations Coordinator at F-11.

Mayo Plaza Property Manager, Mark McKenzie says keeping money local is key for the community.