Savannah’s small businesses are preparing for the post-turkey shopping rush, extending hours, holding sales and encouraging customers to buy local.
The first Saturday after Thanksgiving, dubbed Small Business Saturday, began four years ago as a campaign by financial giant American Express to encourage people to support independent brick-and-mortar establishments.
Since then, it has grown to a wider awareness of supporting the local economy, and not just Saturday, but all weekend long. The idea being that dollars spent with independent shopkeepers return to the community through taxes, payroll and investment in property.
Nicole Carrillo, owner of Kitchens on the Square at 38 Barnard St., said she’s looking forward to the increase in volume.
“It’s just a busy, busy weekend all around, but I really like what American Express has done with Small Business Saturday,” she said.
Carrillo said her customers usually have family from out of town and are looking to avoid crowded malls and shopping plazas.
“People come down for the experience. They’re not the bargain hunters,” she said. “It’s the people who like to spend time with their friends and family and walk around downtown. There's so much to see and do down here.”
To entice shoppers downtown, the city is once again offering free parking for the first three hours at most parking garages every weekend through Christmas. Daily rates apply after the first three hours.
Other municipalities are also getting in on the promotion. Pooler’s Chamber of Commerce is giving out free shopping bags from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Georgia Heritage Federal Credit Union. Shoppers can show this bag at select Pooler stores such as Byrd’s Famous Cookies, TailsSpin and Pie Society for additional discounts.
In Richmond Hill, the chamber is promoting Small Business Saturday with a marketing campaign and store-front decorating contest.
In the Starland District just south of Forsyth Park, Graveface Records & Curiosities will open an hour earlier on Friday and have a wide range of special and new releases as well as raffle giveaways, a DJ and sales such as two-for-$1 on select merchandise.
Owner Ryan Graveface said Saturday isn’t as busy because Black Friday coincides with Record Store Day, another national campaign that promotes independent vinyl stores.
“For us, there's virtually no small business Saturday,” he said. “I think it's because Black Friday is so massive at the record shop.”
Graveface said records make good gifts for some people because they cater to a niche culture.
“In some ways it's like being part of a club," he said. "It sounds better, it feels better, it looks better, it forces you in many cases to acknowledge an entire album instead of a random song on a playlist.”