Winter 2012

Sales Surge
on Small Business Saturday

Metro Home Style

Location: Syracuse, NY
Specialties: Home accents, accessories 
and gifts.
Years in Business: 6
YOY Sales Increase: 91%

In its second year participating in Small Business Saturday, Metro Home Style in Syracuse, NY, saw sales increase 91% compared to 2010. “The day far exceeded my expectations,” says storeowner Linda O’Boyle. “We planned for regular store hours, but the terrific turnout resulted in us staying open an extra two hours to accommodate everyone who wanted to visit the store.”

Metro Home Style increased its own marketing of the event this year with more focus on email blasts and marketing on its Facebook page. “I also heard more customers talking about [Small Business Saturday] this year as they shopped. They had paid attention to my marketing as well as the national campaigns and were making a conscious effort to do some of their holiday shopping at independently owned businesses.” The store took the opportunity to educate shoppers about the importance of shopping small for the local economy.

Metro Home Style offered customers cider, donuts, wine and cheese and complimentary gift-wrap throughout the day. O’Boyle is already looking ahead to Small Business Saturday 2012 and plans to use bag stuffers in the weeks leading up to the big shopping day as an added way to spread the word among her existing customer base. In addition, she will likely add another staff person for the day next year to help greet customers and provide additional assistance on the shop floor.

“We strongly believe that when people get out and shop local the impact on the community is huge,” says O’Boyle. “Participating in Small Business Saturday made sense for us as a company and for our customers who want to shop local and support local businesses of all types. As a store owner, I can’t imagine not being behind this movement.”

Retailer Linda O’Boyle says that as a store owner, she can’t imagine not being behind Small Business Saturday.