Small Business Saturday reminds shoppers to think local
Chris Lavender Staff Writer @LavenderSHJ
Mom-and-pop businesses got their own shopping holiday of sorts with Small Business Saturday.
Shoppers took advantage of local retail sales Saturday hoping to find the perfect gift for family and friends. Amanda Thompson of Inman made several stops at small businesses in Spartanburg, including Imagination Station on East Main Street.
"We were just drawn to all the sales here we saw on social media," Thompson said. "I think it's important to support local businesses. We plan to shop all day."
Thompson bought gifts for her nephews who wanted toy trains.
Shopping at Imagination Station remained brisk all day as customers stocked up on gifts for the holidays. Some of the more popular gift items this year are Bluetooth speakers and toy sleds.
"We had a lot of business Thursday and Friday," said Brittany Burdette, Imagination Station general manager. "It's been super busy today, too, for Small Business Saturday."
Vintage Warehouse on Union Street was also a popular destination. The store features locally made items from 58 vendors.
"We had a big Black Friday, and things picked up again today," said Danielle Kaminski, Vintage Warehouse co-owner. "Small Business Saturday is a vital day of the year for us. It's the best time."
Mitchell Graham of Spartanburg is doing her Christmas shopping on a tight budget and wants to spend her money this year at local retailers. She browsed items at Vintage Warehouse Saturday afternoon to see what she could find.
"I am looking for really cool gifts from local artists who love putting time into what they do," Graham said. "I love going to stores like this in town and other local places to support small businesses."
Another Vintage Warehouse customer, Laura McAbee of Duncan, usually makes homemade gifts for her family and friends during the holidays. She ventured out Saturday to see what she might find at local retailers this year.
"I don't really do a lot of Christmas shopping but decided to come out and support small businesses today," McAbee said.
Shoppers browsed the shelves at Hub City Bookshop on East Main Street as well. So far this year, books about history have been popular sellers. The bookshop's inventory manager Sharon Purvis said sales were brisk on Black Friday and continued Saturday.
"We stocked up our shelves early gearing up for this weekend," Purvis said. "The front table will be converted into an area for other gift items. We are grateful for the community's support on Small Business Saturday,"
Melissa Walker of Spartanburg said she hadn't decided yet what books to buy as gifts, but she wanted to get an early start.
"I don't do a lot of shopping at the big box stores," she said. "I think it's important to support our small businesses."
Maddox Menswear in Lyman also had a successful Small Business Saturday. The store's been open since June 2017. Renee Chapman, the owner of Maddox Menswear, said the store had several new customers visit.
"It was steady all day with lots of folks," Chapman said. "Our Small Business Saturday was much bigger than it was last year. The big things people wanted were jeans and funky socks with tacos and donuts pictured on them."
Small Business Saturday is always the last Saturday in November.
It was created by American Express and first observed in 2010 as a way to promote shopping at small businesses, since Black Friday is usually at focal point for larger retailers and big box chain stores.