Chad Watson of Batavia likes to spend his consumer dollars as close to home as possible.
“Shopping locally means putting money back into your community,” Watson said as he stood outside Kiss the Sky record shop in Batavia on Small Business Saturday over the weekend. “I think mom and pop stores are very important for the community and it’s a rallying point for people who live here as well as it’s nice to see local vendors get their due as opposed to big box stores and such.”
With the Black Friday shopping barrage behind them, shoppers the next day turned their attention to Small Business Saturday, first launched nationally back on Nov. 27, 2010, to highlight smaller independent retailers who still make up the majority of the business fabric of the country.
The first event was created by American Express and has continued to be the focus of a national campaign embraced by local communities and business groups like the Batavia Chamber of Commerce.
Margaret Perreault, president and CEO of the Batavia Chamber, confirmed the importance of small businesses to a community and that “people want to support them.”
“We have the philosophy all year long about shop small, shop local but we definitely want our local residents to take that to heart at this time of the year,” Perreault said. “Businesses are typically in the red until this time of the year and this is an opportunity to lift them up and really help them out as they are critical to our town and economic vitality and the unique features of our town.”
During the pandemic, Perreault said residents “really came out to support our own but unfortunately as time as gone on we don’t hear it being discussed as much.”
“It’s just as critically necessary and I really encourage out local community to get that feeling back,” she said. “We really need our local businesses to thrive to make our town wonderful.”
Many retailers around the Fox Valley were offering special incentives to celebrate Small Business Saturday.
Watson said designating a specific day for small businesses was important.
“I think it does help highlight them a bit, but in general shopping local in your town is better than not,” he said. “It’s where you live and where you’re paying your taxes and you’re putting money back into all the spots that are there.”
In Aurora, resident Grace Quesada said she “supports local” and “if there is a big box retailer I try and go to a mom and pop if I can.”
“I think the products are more authentic and if you support the local people, it’s better for the community,” she said. “I support friends that do crafts and bows and things that they like to sell on their own.”
Becky Hagerman from Virginia was shopping in Aurora while visiting her daughter on Saturday and said that shopping locally offers a unique experience.
“When you shop locally, you’re seeing unique businesses run by people who are committed to the community and have a reason to be here,” she said. “I like the unique and unusual things that box stores are not going to carry. The things you look for in a small town, a small business.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
