This is the fifth year since the Small Business Saturday idea was started in order to spur business for independently owned shops. It has been interesting to see how this marketing effort has taken hold. According to Edward Pinkel of Urban Leisure and Luxury on Elmwood Avenue, the effort got off to a slow start, but slowly grew in momentum. “Last year the effort blew up,” Ward told me. “And it snowballed into this year.”
If you happened to make your way onto Elmwood today, chances are that:
A) You couldn’t find a parking spot
and
B) You sat in traffic for a duration of time
For the Elmwood business community, that should be a good sign, because everyone was clamoring to get into the shops.
Those who live in close proximity to the Elmwood Village got off easy. That’s because they were able to walk right into the whirlwind of activity that was spreading in all directions. The shops appeared to be packed, and the sidewalks were streaming with shoppers.
Small Business Saturday has turned out to be an excellent alternative to the big box Black Friday. The effort has helped the small business community in ways that are unimaginable.
I remember when I had a store on Elmwood Avenue (back in the day), and Black Friday was always a relative disappointment. The malls aways kicked ass, and Elmwood would generally get busier as Christmas Day drew near.
The Small Business Saturday event is a brilliant idea and gives the mom and pop shops the early December boost that they need to have a respectable holiday season.
Check out this piece on Elmwood in the Virgin-Atlantic