Shoppers can support small business on Saturday
With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season upon us, residents in the area can always look to their local businesses to shop and support.
Small Business Saturday arrives this weekend on the 24th, and the South Cape Hospitality & Entertainment Associations is doing its part with the fourth annual Sidewalk Sale from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m..
“Small Business Saturday is a day to show your support to local businesses in the area. Just like big businesses rely on Black Friday to realize profits, small businesses rely on the #shopsmall movement,” said Karmen Forrester, director at SCHEA.
The South Cape Sidewalk Sale will feature nearly 30 small businesses in the Cape that will participate from their own location.
Businesses include: BackStreets Sports Bar, Best Pets, Big Blue Brewing, Blue Moon Antiques, Diamond Dave’s Creative Jewelry, Eight-Foot Brewing, Essential Massage Therapy, Extend & Mend Hair Bar & Salon, Family Traditions, Farmer Girl’s Food & Vitamin, Flip Flops Consignment, Genius Computer Repair & Service, Gordon’s Pool & Spa Services, Hands On Art Gallery & Studio, John Michaels Diamond and Jewelry Studio, Karma & Coconuts, Paradise International Tax, Perk & Brew, Razzle Dazzle, Re-Rigged Outdoor Gear Exchange, Steppin’ On Up, Su Casa Furniture Boutique, SWFL Military Museum & Library, The Cole Team RE/MAX, The Pirate Merchant, Zak’s Jewelry and World Famous Cigar Bar.
“South Cape boasts hundreds of locally owned small businesses. Events like the Sidewalk Sale are a great way to discover what’s right in your own neighborhood,” said Forrester.
Nearly 9,000 small businesses exist in the Cape, and are a major driving force in the community.
“Small businesses fuel the local economy,” added Forrester. “They provide more than half the jobs and the bulk of the money earned is spent locally as well. When you support a small business you are supporting your own communities.”
Those in search of gifts for the holidays may be able to find one-of-a-kind items at local businesses, providing an alternative to mass produced items at some chain stores.
“Locally run shops are great at providing personal service. Many also feature handcrafted items made by local artists, or unique items you can’t really find anywhere else,” said Forrester.
Santa will be present at Big Blue Brewing for the kids to take photos with and for those who get their SCHEA passport stamped at 12 participating locations will be entered to win prizes from the local businesses.
Small Business Saturday is an initiative created by American Express, whose study shows that an average of two-thirds of every dollar spent at small businesses in the U.S. stays in the local community.
“What began nine years ago as an effort to support local stores during the holiday shopping season has become the Shop Small movement, bringing together millions of shoppers, small businesses of all kinds, civic leaders and organizations in thousands of towns and cities across the country,” said Elizabeth Rutledge, Chief Marketing Officer at American Express in a statement. “Shopping small has a significant and positive effect on local communities, and we hope Small Business Saturday will help to amplify that effect during the crucial holiday shopping season. When we spend local, small businesses thrive. And when small businesses thrive, we all thrive.”
For more information on SCHEA’s Sidewalk Sale, visit www.southcapeentertainment.com.
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