Shops Encourage Shopping Local on Small Business Saturday

Retail stores aren’t the only ones seeing more foot traffic, coffee shops get an influx of shoppers popping in as well.

Small Business Saturday was launched in 2010 as a way to encourage people to spend their dollars at locally owned business rather than national or online retailers.

“Small businesses are kind of the heart of the community”.

“We offer things that you can’t really get at the big box stores”.

Rachel Levey told 22News, “It’s important to support your community”. They say events like Small Business Saturday, and local support have helped them stay open.

“I think it’s definitely fed off of the Thanksgiving/Black Friday and then right to shop local, then Cyber Monday coming up on Monday”. During last year’s Small Business Saturday, consumers spent a whopping $14.3 billion, up 2 percent from $14 billion spent in 2013. Many local businesses will be extending their hours and opening seven days a week to accommodate the increase in traffic.

“I hope the people just come downtown, see it as another reason to come downtown, do some shopping”, said Field.

Springfield shoppers have another opportunity to score holiday shopping bargains and support the local economy at the same time.

” I try and shop as local as I can”.

Saturday, the Austin Independent Business Alliance is hosting a Holiday Shop Hop all over Austin.

Kansas joins a nationwide effort to highlight small businesses.

“It’s been really busy. We don’t have a location anywhere else so this is unique to Chattanooga so I think it adds character”.

According to the hobby store’s mechanic, locally owned businesses also have the advantage of providing shoppers with faster customer service.