GREENFIELD — While some people choose to line up early for Black Friday deals at big box stores, Main Street retailers say Small Business Saturday gives customers a chance to regroup after the Thanksgiving holiday and do their shopping on a more local, friendlier scale.
Several retailers on Main Street are offering deals and specials for Small Business Saturday — an annual shopping tradition dedicated to supporting small businesses, founded by American Express in 2010. While some residents leave town to take advantage of Black Friday deals on electronics and other big-ticket items at regional malls, Greenfield merchants say Saturday’s event gives people a more laid-back alternative.
“I think we still have a really strong group of people that want to shop local and support the downtown and support the Greenfield stores and small stores, in general. If you’re going to do the big sales and you’re going to get the electronics, that’s kind of designated to Friday now,” said Jessica Mullins, owner of World Eye Bookshop and Magical Child toy store on Main Street. “(Small Business Saturday) is a way for people to regroup and take a breath and sleep in, because you don’t have to get up at 7 a.m. to get the specials.”
Magical Child is offering 20 percent off Melissa & Doug items — a promotion the brand is doing with small businesses to try to get toys back into kids’ hands. The store is also offering 20 percent off all gift certificates, in addition to other unannounced specials.
At Wilson’s Department Store, Vice President Sheila Peers said there will be “doorbuster deals,” and Wilson’s will also hold a soft opening for its new home store on the lower level.
“The whole downstairs has been remodeled because of the flood,” she said. “We have our domestics department down there and our housewares department, so we’ve created a home environment for the whole floor so you can shop seamlessly.”
Select items throughout Wilson’s will also be up to 60 percent off.
Both Peers and Ellie Richardson, owner of Moldavite Dreams, said a big advantage of Small Business Saturday is that the tradition keeps money close to home.
“When you shop in your community, the money goes toward families and local people you know and not corporations, and it’s important,” Richardson said.
Moldavite Dreams on Main Street will offer 22 percent off all tapestries, clothing, gifts and accessories, and 11 percent off books, cards and paper products. Richardson advertised the weekend-long sale on the store’s Facebook page Thursday, and was greeted by customers waiting at the door when she came to work Friday.
Natalie Blais, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, said while Small Business Saturday is wonderful for highlighting local businesses, residents should be thinking about shopping locally every day of the year.
“What we’re trying to do is to try to get away from it just being a Small Business Saturday, one day of the year event, and trying to encourage this year-long thinking,” she said.