Saturday Short Subjects: Looking Ahead to The Day We All Shop Small®

Fast on the heels of Black Friday comes a quieter, gentler opportunity for shopping. Each year, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday® celebrates small business in communities across America. Started by American Express in 2010, the number of participants has grown steadily over the years. It is estimated that $5.5B was spent by consumers who shopped on Small Business Saturday® in 2012. For this year’s campaign, AmEx has partnered with the USPS, Foursquare, and Twitter.

Why shop local? There are a number of very good reasons— from supporting business owners who are your neighbors and fellow taxpayers to building community. Perhaps the most compelling reason comes from an economic study conducted in Portland, Maine in 2011. Researchers found that every $100 spent in locally owned business contributed and additional $58 to the economy of Portland. In contrast, only $33 was returned to the local economy for each $100 spent in a chain store.

Here is a sampling of the local shops you’ll find if you visit my neighborhood on the edge of downtown New Haven — and I haven’t even mentioned the coffee shops and eateries: Taft Cosmetics, Katahdin Furniture, Knit New Haven, Gilden’s Jewelers, Foundry Music Company, Audubon Strings, DelMonico Hatter, Ferrucci Fine Men’s Clothiers, Luck & Levity Brewshop, Devil’s Gear Bike Shop, Elm City Market Co-op… get the idea?

So… next Saturday, get up from your chair. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Discover your local stores. Do some shopping. 

You’ll: 

• Support your community
• Get some exercise
• Lower your carbon footprint

And, I just bet you’ll meet some very nice people in the process.

Mark it on your calendar: November 30, 2013, Small Business Saturday® The Day We All Shop Small®.

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall  being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).