Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — Local shoppers and businesses participated in the Small Business Saturday initiative.
BACKGROUND:Black Friday jam at Eastview Mall|Preview: Small Business Saturday with 3 local eateries
“Today is our Small Business Saturday event,” said Elyssa Rossi, a small business liaison for the City of Rochester. “We do this annually. We get the neighbors and the merchants together.”
Small Business Saturday is a relatively new initiative. It started out as an American Express campaign in 2010 before an endorsement by the Small Business Administration.
“It’s always been a really positive thing,” said Jennifer Plunkett of Aaron’s Alley. “We’re on our 12th year, and it’s busier and busier. You open the door and there’s a slew of people. They just keep flowing through, so we enjoy it.”
The shopping holiday brings a sales boost for people like Plunkett. By mid-afternoon on Saturday, she estimated about 100 people came through the door. Many of them were looking for gifts.
“I’m going to be looking around trying to find something for my boyfriend for his birthday,” said Shae Tennity of Rochester.
“Just some Christmas gifts,” said Nick Mahoney of Springwater. “Odds and ends things for the holidays.”
Stem Rochester, a house plant store just down the road, also reported a spike in customers.
“A lot of the time people are always looking for pet-safe items,” Kerynn Laraby, who co-owns the store said. “We put paw print stickers on all of our things. It makes shopping a little bit easier. We’re always happy to help too. We’ve had a couple people on the floor here, just in case you look like you might need some help.”
Small Business Saturday wasn’t just observed on Rochester’s Monroe Avenue. In Canandaigua, shoppers found a variety of goods from art prints to jewelry at Native Made Market. The Veterans Outreach Center’s store, Stars and Stripes, participated in the campaign, offering their flags and military apparel.
It’s all meant to drive a local economic impact.
“I think it’s incredibly important,” said Rossi. “I think this weekend in general is typically geared toward big corporations.”
The Small Business Administration said 2023’s Small Business Saturday generated about $17 billion in consumer spending nationwide.
“Your dollar goes a lot further when you support local business,” Rossi added.
According to the Governor’s Office, small businesses employ nearly 40% of New York State’s private sector workforce.
___________
This post was originally published on here
