Mom-and-pop shops have high hopes for Small Business Saturday
Store clerk Audrey Schneider working at the Hamptons West Vintage Boutique in Sayville on Small Business Saturday in 2022. Credit: John Roca
Mom-and-pop shops are hoping that their wares, deals and customer service will help draw shoppers on Small Business Saturday.
As a nationwide pullback on spending is expected this holiday season, many independent shops still have high expectations for Small Business Saturday.
An American Express survey found that 55% of small business owners expect Saturday will make a significant contribution to their total holiday sales this year. American Express created the Small Business Saturday campaign in 2010 as a way to encourage consumers to shop at independent businesses the day after Black Friday, when large chains tend to benefit the most.
In addition to participating businesses offering promotions on Small Business Saturday, chambers of commerce and other local groups organize community events on main streets that include parades, Santa visits, ice skating, musical performances, Christmas tree lightings and other events to attract shoppers to downtown business districts.
Last year, the Long Island Main Street Alliance, the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce and other chambers on the Island launched a campaign to change Small Business Saturday to Small Business Season, which is Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, said Eric Alexander, the founder of the Long Island Main Street Alliance, a coalition of 45 downtown communities.
“Because it’s not just about one day. Downtowns do too much. Small businesses are too important,” he said. On Long Island, more than 60 communities are participating in Small Business Season events, Alexander said.
Tory N. Parrish covers retail and small business for Newsday. She has worked at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Observer-Dispatch in Utica, N.Y.
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