Every year, the shopping extravaganza that is Black Friday becomes further entrenched in our cultural traditions. On Thursday, we eat turkey and give thanks, then on Friday, we hit the streets and snap up bargains.
But there is a movement to add another day to this list; after the adrenaline-fueled rush of Black Friday, local businesses are hoping shoppers will think of the smaller, local retailers.
Nov. 29 is Small Business Saturday, a concept that is gathering momentum across the country and in the Flathead. Local businesses band together and offer holiday shopping deals for customers, and the customers get to know more about what their local options have to offer.
“Mostly, it’s supporting your friends and neighbors,” Sarah Stewart, business manager at the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, said. “They’re the ones who are living next door to you, and the money that goes back into the community.”
Shopping small isn’t an “us versus them” mentality against the larger box stores, but rather an opportunity to peruse the offerings local businesses work hard to provide, she said.
In Whitefish, Small Business Saturday means at least 40 retailers will be offering special deals to customers, and customers can visit these shops for a chance to win a $25 American Express gift card.
The credit card giant is the driving force behind the national campaign for Small Business Saturday, offering chambers of commerce collections of gifts and swag to give to local shops, advertising their small-business status and participation in the weekend.
That means the chambers are able to give away these gift cards, Stewart said. In Whitefish, shoppers can use a Passport, which will be available on Nov. 29 at participating stores, to see which retailers are offering deals.
If shoppers go to five stores and get their Passports stamped – no purchase necessary at the stores – they can leave the Passport at a participating store and be entered in the drawing for one of 25 $25 gift cards.
“They don’t even have to buy anything, but just going into the shops and seeing, that’s the best kind of marketing you can get,” Stewart said.
Small Business Saturday is also a big deal in Kalispell, according to Kalispell Chamber of Commerce Vice President Chris Parson. Last year, roughly 28 businesses participated, and this year, that number has increased to 68.
The high number of participating stores shows that the idea is catching on, Parson said, thanks to the American Express advertising campaign and to local organizations such as the chamber getting the word out. Businesses in Bigfork, Lakeside and Columbia Falls are also participating.
Shoppers in Kalispell will also have access to a Passport, and if they get stamps from three or more participating stores, they will be in the running for a $50 gift card.
In this week’s print edition of the Beacon, there is an insert highlighting the participating stores and a map showing where they are located, as well as the rules for the Passport drawing.
Parson said the chamber decided to put such an insert in the paper as a way to advertise the weekend, and get more people interested in what local shops have to offer.
“The idea is to try to help do some things for these small businesses,” he said. “We decided to do our part, and make sure we do a good job marketing it.”
Stewart and Parson said they would promote Small Business Saturday for all local businesses, even those that aren’t chamber members. It’s about supporting local owners, they said.
“I don’t want my neighbors moving away and having to go someplace else to make a living,” Stewart said.
For a full listing of participating businesses in Whitefish, visit www.whitefishchamber.org.