By the time this edition of the Beacon hits newsstands, there will be less than a month left until Christmas. It’s getting to be crunch time for many shoppers seeking the perfect gifts, and it’s a time of year that brings relief to many local businesses after the relatively lean fall months.
The day after Thanksgiving, falling this year on Nov. 29, has earned the name Black Friday, and is the biggest shopping day in America. Last year, Americans spent more than $1 billion in online purchases, and this year many brick-and-mortar stores are opening on Thanksgiving to cater to customers.
Plenty of local shops in the valley are open for Black Friday, but the day after, now known as Small Business Saturday, is reserved especially for them. This year, Small Business Saturday takes place on Nov. 30.
Credit card monolith American Express coined the term in 2010, declaring that the day after the Black Friday craziness should be dedicated to the small, local businesses on America’s main streets. The movement received more than 1 million ‘likes’ on Facebook within a month, and the U.S. Senate officially recognized Small Business Saturday in 2011.
In the years since, Small Business Saturday has caught on, with small businesses working with American Express on marketing tactics such as social media to get the word out.
The company also offers small businesses free in-store signage for the event, as well as social media posts and email templates to help small business owners promote their stores.
American Express cardholders also can find extra deals and incentives on Small Business Saturday, including a $10 statement credit they enroll their card and “spend a $10 or more in a single in-store transaction at a qualifying small business location on Small Business Saturday,” according to the company.
In Kalispell, the businesses on Main Street are stocked and ready for the crowds.
Richard Burke, owner at The Bookshelf, said he appreciated the idea of directing the shopping hordes to their local businesses. When asked how the day has gone in previous years, Burke went right to his accounting ledger.
Finding the Thanksgiving weekend with his finger, he smiled.
“It was a big deal last year,” Burke said. “It worked well; a great day last year.”
Burke said he plans on offering customers 10 percent of all purchases on Small Business Saturday.
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce president Joe Unterreiner said the chamber has supported the idea since its inception in 2010, but this year put more money behind its support.
“We decided to throw more resources at it this year,” he said. “We’ve got somewhere between 25 and 30 businesses signed up and we’ve been doing a lot of social media advertising.”
 |
|
Jordan Rendoni hangs lights inside the Bozeman Watch Co. in Whitefish. – Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon |
The chamber also hired a public relations specialist to tackle the social media aspect of Small Business Saturday, Unterreiner said, among other tasks.
“We’re pretty excited about it,” Unterreiner said. “We’re putting a lot of energy into it. We think it’s a great thing.”
The Whitefish Chamber of Commerce is also on board, chamber business manager Sarah Stewart said, and has gotten in touch with its members about the opportunity to be open for a rush of business on Nov. 30.
“We definitely support it and we’ve been promoting it to our members as well,” Stewart said.
Unterreiner said the Kalispell chamber has been helping businesses of all kinds prepare for the event, including non-members. He said the chamber has helped businesses from Columbia Falls to Lakeside sign up and use the available resources to promote it.
At the Think Local store in Kalispell, Janelle Buchanan said Small Business Saturday is a major day, and it helps propel the shop from the lean fall months into the hopefully robust holiday season.
Last year, Small Business Saturday was one of its busiest, most-successful days
“It’s a big deal for us,” Buchanan said. “We’re so excited.”
For more information on Small Business Saturday, visit www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/Shop-Small or follow the movement’s Facebook page.