It’s the day before Thanksgiving, and we know it’s asking a lot, but we’d like you to look ahead to the weekend. (You can save this editorial to read later with your cup of coffee and slice of pumpkin pie if you need to. We know how hectic the holidays get, so we certainly won’t judge.)
Just on the other side of Turkey Day and Black Friday is Small Business Saturday. We know that in the holidaze of November and December, the ease of online shopping and big box stores is a temptation that’s hard to resist, but if you can take the few extra minutes to shop local, we promise it’s worth it.
Supporting local stores and businesses means supporting the community. According to the Better Business Bureau, when you spend $100 at a locally owned store, $68 stays within the community, vs. only $43 of $100 spent at a non-locally owned shop. One of the ways that money stays local is through charity work and donations. The BBB says 52% of small business donate to charitable causes, and of those that do, 90% donate to local causes. Plus, small businesses not only create jobs — people employed by local businesses tend to be happier and tend to be more committed to their employers and to feel like their employers are equally committed to them.
On top of supporting your neighbors and community, shopping local gives you the opportunity to find truly unique gifts. There are tons of small businesses throughout the region offering specialty goods that you might not need or think about most of the year, but they are the perfect place to shop for the holidays! Don’t forget — sometimes the perfect present isn’t an object; sometimes it’s an experience. Consider giving gift certificates or planning an outing for you and your loved one.
If you don’t know where to start, check out the Holiday Shopping Guide in tomorrow’s paper to see what’s around and what deals are being offered. If you find something you like, you’ll see in the guide if the business is doing Black Friday or Cyber Monday as well as Small Business Saturday.
On top of businesses that you can support this holiday season, there are also a variety of nonprofit and charity organizations with shops (some seasonal, some year-round), such as ReTails by M-SNAP — which just converted to its Christmas Shop — at the Morgantown Mall and The Ranch Community Store on Don Knotts Boulevard.
And don’t forget about holiday markets and craft shows. For example, The Moonlight Market in Morgantown will have its final event of 2023 on Saturday from 2-8 p.m. These kinds of pop-up events are great for perusing a bunch of different things — from handmade artisan products to clothes to fresh-baked goodies — in one place.
Happy shopping!
