Nov 27, 2017
Local shops grateful for the bump on Small Business Saturday

Perched on a step stool outside the Montana Gift Corral, store co-manager Shanna Hamilton reached up to hang a line of flags that read “Shop Small.”

In addition to the flags, which advertised the annual shopping holiday Small Business Saturday, the Gift Corral offered a discount on everything on its shelves, from Montana-made caramels to Christmas ornaments.

“This tends to be one of our bigger days during the holidays,” Hamilton said. “People respond very well to it.”

Sandwiched between two other days of consumer blitz — Black Friday and Cyber Monday — Small Business Saturday encourages shoppers to support local, independent stores. The American Express-sponsored tradition started in 2010, and the credit card company estimated that last year 112 million consumers shopped at a small business on Small Business Saturday.

Montana is home to more than 115,000 small businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, which account for roughly two-thirds of the state’s private workforce.

The Downtown Bozeman Partnership, which helps organize and advertise the event, offered free parking downtown for the entire day Saturday. Downtown Bozeman itself has more than 250 small businesses, according to the DBP.

Bangtail Bikes and XC Skis, which offered 10 percent off its inventory, was among the shops taking advantage of the good weather and traditional holiday bump in foot traffic.

“It’s huge for us because we’re competing against the internet, so anything we can do to get people in here is awesome,” said floor manager Amber Hoadley.

With the rise of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores have been forced to adapt their business strategies, Hoadley added, beefing up their own online presence and focusing on customer service and physical offerings — such as fitting rooms or ski waxes — that consumers can’t get online.

“We have a big online presence, and it’s definitely increased awareness of our business, but (events like Small Business Saturday) keep the community alive,” said Celeste Buck-Heinz, manager at The Montana Scene, a Montana-made gifts and apparel shop on Rouse Avenue.

Days like Saturday are not only crucial for local businesses but can have far-reaching effects on area economies, Buck-Heinz noted.

Roughly 45 cents of each dollar spent at an independent business recirculates locally, compared to less than 14 cents on the dollar at chain stores, according to data from research group Civic Economics.

And for places like Bozeman — communities built up around and to some extent dependent upon their main streets — businesses have an added importance, Hamilton said.

“Main Street is the heart and soul of Bozeman and what makes this town vibrant,” she said. “And if people don’t support small businesses, downtown wouldn’t thrive like it does.”

Original article can be found here.