If you count yourself among those who were stunned by the announcement that Target would be closing up shop in the Fairplain Plaza next year, take a moment to reflect on which of your other favorite stores could be on the endangered list after this holiday season. The term Black Friday hearkens back to a day when shopkeepers ledgers were maintained by hand, using pen and ink. The Friday after Thanksgiving was many times the first time in the year that owners could stop red ink entries, representing losses, and use black ink to register gains.
As you head into the stores to shop for gifts, recognize the potential impact you and your friends, family and neighbors can have on the fate of brick and mortar stores, either good or bad, especially tomorrow during Small Business Saturday.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is encouraging consumers to visit their local small businesses tomorrow. Partnering for the seventh year in a row with American Express, they are promoting a national campaign to “shop small” here in Michigan.
Andrew Fisher is the Assistant State Director for Michigan’s chapter of the NFIB. He says, “Traditionally, the holiday shopping season has kicked off with Black Friday, but we are encouraged each year by the number of people that are participating in small business Saturday. Last year it was its largest ever, with 112 million shoppers patronizing small businesses throughout the country.” He adds, “The idea is simple: Instead of sitting at home and ordering online or driving to the nearest shopping center or big-box store, you shop at small, locally-owned businesses for things you simply cannot find at the mall.”
The campaign to “shop small” on the Saturday after Thanksgiving began in 2010 to help small businesses that were struggling to recover from the great recession. Last year, according to the post-holiday survey released by NFIB and American Express, 15.4 billion dollars were spent in small businesses nationwide.
St. Joseph Today has become a key advocate for Small Business Saturday, even offering up free gift wrapping at their Welcome Center downtown for those who produce a receipt showing the purchase was made at a downtown merchant.
The NFIB’s Fisher reminds everyone, “Small Business Saturday isn’t about getting up before dawn, fighting traffic, jostling with crowds and standing in long lines to save a few bucks. It is a day to celebrate and support the small, family-run businesses that do so much throughout the year to support our community.” He also contends, “Instead of dealing with temporary workers who don’t know the merchandise, you’re likely to deal directly with the owner, who has a vested interest not only in selling you something that day but in making you want to come back time and again throughout the year.”
Fisher points out that money spent in a small business, for the most part, remains in that community. “When you shop at a chain store, most of the money goes back to some corporate office somewhere, but when you shop on Main Street, that money stays on Main Street.”
