Small businesses stake a claim to holiday shopping

Wedged between the advertising assault of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the inaugural Small Business Saturday provided a quieter kind of boost for many Long Island participants.

Nationwide for small businesses and mall businesses, the National Retail Federation, a trade group, estimated that 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites during the first weekend of the holiday season, up from 195 million last year. Online spending also rose more than 14 percent from Thanksgiving Day through Saturday, according to IBM's Coremetrics.

 While local merchants said the Saturday event didn't necessarily enhance everyone's bottom line, many appreciated the concept.

"We're in difficult times here, so it was more inspirational than profitable," said Ken Veale, who runs Port Jeff Motorcycle Shop in Port Jefferson Village. "And in a recession, I'll take the inspiration."

Like thousands of small business owners nationwide, Veale posted window signs and web links explaining the incentive to customers: a $25 credit to anyone who used American Express (the event's sponsors) for purchases of at least $25.

The R.J. West spa in Huntington promoted the event through e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, and brought a 60 percent increase in American Express charges compared with a typical weekend, said manager Marissa Gannotta.

American Express did not release dollar totals but said the event was successful in its modest, first-year goals. "The inaugural year, really, was about establishing the day and generating awareness," said spokesman Tom Sclafani.

Meanwhile, figures released Sunday show big-box stores were in no way abandoned. The National Retail Federation issued a survey indicating per-person spending for Black Friday weekend (Thursday-Sunday) increased 6 percent from 2009, to $365.34. Officials estimated total weekend spending would reach $45 billion, up from $41.2 billion last year.

Factors cited included the willingness of more large retailers to open Thanksgiving Day or at midnight Black Friday, rather than 5 a.m. The number of Thursday shoppers, both online and in stores, has doubled since 2005, according to the federation. "Clearly there is an appetite from consumers," said Scott Krugman, a federation vice president.

Online shopping continues to account for a greater number of transactions, even before the Cyber Monday push. Black Friday sales from major retailers' websites were up 16 percent from 2009, according to an IBM Coremetrics analysis.

"We're watching online retail, and increasingly social media and mobile, become the growth engines for retailers everywhere," said John Squire, IBM Coremetrics' chief strategy officer.

Back inside small businesses, owners said they were happy for anything that kept shoppers coming in. "I would just hope that people who live in the area realize that local business is the lifeblood of the neighborhood," said John Nicoletti, of Nicolette's garden and home shop in North Massapequa.