Shop Local for Holiday Shopping on Small Business Saturday
While Black Friday may be a day for the masses to hit the mall, and Cyber Monday is a day to give in to your urges to buy all those fabulous electronics, Small Business Saturday, sandwiched between the two, is the perfect opportunity to shop local and mark some names off your gift buying list.
When you shop local, you are not only supporting the individual store, but you’re also helping out the local economy. According to American Express, small businesses create about half of the jobs in the private sector. Keeping small businesses afloat means helping your neighbors keep their jobs—and ensuring you have plenty of places to shop for those last-minute gifts.
Shop Local and Avoid All the Hassle
When you shop local, you are just that – local. Shopping on Black Friday may mean traveling to malls and large department stores, while spending annoying amounts of time waiting in heavy traffic and long lines. In many cases, by the time you reach your destination, the stress level is enough that when you see that packed parking lot and the long lines in the stores, you may want to turn around and go back home. However, when you shop local, you’re able to do your shopping just a few minutes from home, with less traffic. Not only will you reduce your stress levels, but you’re also likely to save gas money.
Shop Local and Meet Your Neighbors
When you shop at a local small business, you are likely to receive better service and more personalized attention than you would at a large, crowded department store or mall. The people who own and operate these businesses may literally be your neighbors. Since local business owners often live in the same community as their shops, they have a vested interest in providing good service to their neighbors and that makes your shopping experience much more enjoyable.
If you have always dreaded the crowds, traffic, lines, and parking evils every holiday season, you should definitely shop local this year and see what all the Small Business Saturday fuss is about. While there is certainly an adrenaline rush that accompanies the midnight madness on Black Friday, supporting your local economy and your local businesses on November 24 might be more fun with less hassle.
