LAKE COUNTY >> Black Friday, Cyber Monday. These are familiar terms. But there”s one shopping event that people may not have heard of, even in small town America: Small Business Saturday. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, local businesses often have sales, treats and goodies for shoppers. These perks and discounts can even be greater than Black Friday deals, especially for Lakeport stores who participate in A Very Merry Main Street.
“We always make Saturday a special day and it”s a very merry Christmas for the community,” said Cheri Holden, of Watershed Books.
One way that Saturday is made extra unique is through Christmas events put on by the Main Street Association. One such event is an elf treasure hunt, designed to get members of the community out to the local businesses. Each person who wishes to be involved in the hunt must travel around the area and visit each shop to locate hidden elves. The shops have small cardboard printouts of these elves, which they conceal around their stores.
“You hide a small little elf … in your shop and everybody who”s participating gets a map,” explained Rachelle Skousen of Cheese”s Game Shop. “It”s actually pretty neat in getting people to come into your shop who might not otherwise.”
This little adventure isn”t the first of its kind designed by the Main Street Association to get people to shop locally. In October they organized Oktoberfest and on Halloween they put together a street wide trick or treating event for youngsters.
“It seems like it”ll be a good turnout with as much stuff the Main Street Association is doing to get people to come out,” said Skousen, who hopes Cheese”s Game Shop, a new store on Main Street, will have a good turn out for their first big shopping weekend.
“I”m really hoping that it”s going to go very well,” she said. The Game Shop is offering 20 percent off everything for their Saturday shoppers.
Based on previous Small Business Saturdays, The Game Shop doesn”t have too much to be concerned about.
“My shop ? is beautifully supported by the local community and shopping locally is an advantage for everyone,” said Holden, who is offering greatly discounted books, free books for children and treats and coffee for shoppers who come out to Small Business Saturday.
Tiffany Meek, of The Soap Shack Baby, agreed. “It was really good last year,” she said. This year, The Soap Shack Baby will be offering a variety of different soaps and 20 to 50 percent off select items.
Main Street Gifts, who for the last four years has been participating in the official Small Business Saturday put on by American Express, is enthusiastic about their prospects this year. “It sends in people we wouldn”t normally have gotten,” said an assistant.
People who have American Express cards can purchase items from Main Street Gifts, and if they spend a qualifying amount, they receive some cash back from their purchases. However, even those who don”t shop with American Express can get significant discounts. The whole store is 10 to 50 percent off.
But Small Business Saturday in Lake County is much less about the official title and more about supporting local businesses, who all participate in the event regardless of American Express.
The Game Hub in Lower Lake is offering deals such as buy two get one free video games and 20 percent off board games, among other discounts. Kyle Fahr of The Game Hub has seen enough of an increase in sales to keep up Small Business Saturday every year. “It”s been pretty successful,” he said. “It”s not a huge increase, but it is notable and noticeable.”
Lorri MacDonald of Middletown”s Funtopia hasn”t seen the same type of draw from Small Business Saturday as other shops in the county, but she still has sales all weekend long. She says that people who come into her shop to score 25 percent off of everything don”t seem to realize that Small Business Saturday is a thing. However, they do want to support her store, regardless of whether or not they”re aware an official event is happening.
“Small businesses are of great importance to our community,” said Holden. “The amount of money that goes into local businesses stays locally.” This is something people of the county understand and appreciate. As the years go on, more and more people are hearing about Small Business Saturday and heading to the local stores for discounts.
Fahr is seeing more awareness as Small Business Saturday gains momentum. “It”s picked up, definitely,” he said. “We”ve been open for about four years and ? it has increased year to year.”
“It”s definitely getting out there more, because it”s kind of a newer construct to help small businesses rather than to just go to Wal-Mart or to just go online,” said Skousen. “But to help the local shops in your area.”
Even small increases in foot traffic are important on the small shop level.
“We appreciate all the support from everyone in the local area and it makes me happy to see people coming in here for unique stuff,” Fahr commented.
As for keeping the fairly successful shopping day alive for years to come, stores in the area are enthusiastically on board.
“Absolutely! We shall,” Holden quipped eagerly.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019
