Shoppers go big for small biz
Published 7:56 pm Saturday, November 29, 2014
Brenda Wright of Shooting Star Gallery said customers were waiting on her to open the door on Small Business Saturday. She attributed the heavy turnout to a rejection of the Black Friday consumerism. Hers was one of many businesses from which people entered a Suffolk News-Herald sponsored contest for a $250 gift card.
Small Business Saturday was a big hit for Suffolk’s local retailers and restaurants, many of which reported an outpouring of support for the special shopping day.
Brenda Wright, owner of Shooting Star Gallery on North Main Street, said people were waiting at the door when she opened. She attributed the small business support to a rejection of the consumerism often displayed on Black Friday.
“People are taking that repulsion for Black Friday and turning it into bringing it local on Saturday,” Wright said.
Alison Dodson Anderson of A. Dodson’s on Bridge Road believed better awareness of Small Business Saturday and the benefits of shopping small in general led to the good response her business saw.
“There’s definitely more awareness this year than I’ve ever seen before,” she said. “It’s great to see.”
She said all three of her stores — she also has locations in Norfolk and Virginia Beach — have been beating expectations, but the flagship store in Suffolk was, of course, leading.
“Things are going fabulous,” she said. “It’s the best Small Business Saturday we’ve had to date in our 13 years.”
Bruce Bowles of D.B. Bowles Jewelers said early in the afternoon that he was doing good business on the repair side of his business. He expected sales to pick up later in the day.
“We’ll stay a couple hours extra,” he said, noting he usually closes at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Karen James of All About Virginia and More also said business had been great.
Shoppers also were excited about a promotion by the Suffolk News-Herald, also sponsored by the Suffolk Department of Economic Development, that was offering four $250 gift cards to local businesses. Shoppers were asked to take a photo inside a Suffolk small business, tweet it or post it on the Suffolk News-Herald’s Facebook page by the end of the day Saturday, and use the hashtag #SmallBizSuffolk and the name of the business.
The News-Herald will draw four names from among the qualifying entries — each business visited per person counts as a separate entry — on Monday and announce the winners next week. They will receive $250 gift cards to the business where they entered the contest.
