JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the holiday shopping season kicks into full swing, local businesses in Duval County want the community to remember the mom and pops when shopping this holiday season.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday usually get the most attention, but sandwiched in between is Small Business Saturday.
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The Saturday after Thanksgiving has become a tradition over the years to focus on small and local businesses to prevent them from being skipped over for big box stores.
“When people are shopping here at RAM (Riverside Arts Market) with our local vendors, they are supporting local community members,” said Kathy Hill, owner of Kismet Jewelry. “And the money we earn stays in the local community, it doesn’t go to corporate America.
This holiday shopping season is expected to hit a record of nearly one trillion dollars.
William Brueck is the owner of Yesterday and Today’s record store located in San Marco.
He told News 4 Jax that what he loves about his store, is records are personal. He added that personal feelings go beyond records and are more of an experience when shopping locally and building relationships.
“I don’t think I have seen an uptick of where people embrace Small Business Saturday like I hope they would,” Brueck said. “When you shop at eBay or something, it may trickle down to some people. But when you come and buy from us, it goes to helping us keep food on our table--and rent is going up, it’s hard to keep a business afloat.”
The National Retail Federation is predicting Americans to spend $75 Billion this holiday season.
