Small Business Saturday begins to gain a following

ALBANY — At the same time big-box retailers were getting ready for the Black Friday blowout, preparations were also under way at less well-known local establishments for Small Business Saturday.

The traffic on Small Business Saturday does not usually compare to the Black Friday crowds, but those operating small businesses are hopeful it will serve as a reminder to local shoppers why supporting small businesses is so vital.

Honey Bolton, manager of Place on the Pointe, said the Westgate Drive gift shop is expecting a “steady stream of traffic” during the kickoff to the holiday shopping season. The Black Friday traffic is beneficial to her business as well, especially if closures at other establishments on Thanksgiving Day make it more likely that shoppers hit the streets today.

After closing at 5:30 p.m. today, the store will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. Free gift wrapping, hands-on service and the offering of shipping options are among the special services Bolton said Place on the Pointe brings to the table.

The shop had its Christmas open house at the end of October, and there was already a holiday setup in place early this week with the anticipation shoppers will be inclined to look beyond the big department stores.

“There is not a huge difference (in traffic on Small Business Saturday),” Bolton said. “I wish more people would come and support small businesses every day.

“We are very hands-on for our customers. We personalize, we engrave. If we can personalize it, we personalize it.”

The Blush boutique on Ledo Road offered a two-hour head start to customers today along with discounts up to 30 percent throughout the day. Like other small businesses, store personnel were stocking up merchandise ahead of the season and waiting for devoted shoppers to walk in the door.

“During the holiday season, it does get pretty (hectic),” said Austin Brann, a sales associate at the store.

The boutique plans to take advantage of Small Business Saturday, during which the winner of a $100 gift card customers will be entering to win today will be announced. Store officials say they are expecting holiday shopping traffic to be the same, if not larger, this year.

“We seem to have a little more of a boom in business on that day (Small Business Saturday). It is a good reminder for people (to shop at small businesses),” said Blush owner Kate Henry. “We always hope it gets busier and busier each year, and it usually does.”

Though a small business owner herself, Henry said she understands that it more convenient to go into the bigger stores and get 20 items at once. She is hopeful that mindset might change.

“It helps small businesses so much when those in the community shop there. It is a bigger impact than most people think,” she said. “It is important for people to remember they are there. (Owners and managers) strive for their business to keep the doors open.”

Cycle World on Dawson Road is closed today, since Black Friday is not a popular day for bicycle sales. Small Business Saturday is something the shop is actively involved in, though, despite the reality that getting out the word on the benefits of small businesses is much tougher than it is for big box stores.

“They have advertising dollars I don’t have. (The exposure) really helps a lot,” said Terrell Hoffman, co-owner of Cycle World.

Data from the National Retail Federation show that small businesses, defined as those with fewer than 50 employees, make up for a large number of retailers. On average, small business shoppers are expected to spend $576.02 on gifts for their families — higher than the $444.52 average expected to be spent among shoppers taking their business elsewhere.