Local Shops Gear Up For Small Business Saturday

 Shoppers in the Valley support their neighborhood stores on Small Business Saturday.

American Express which is the founding partner of Small Business Saturday, said 88 million Americans got out and shopped “small” on this day last year.

“Small businesses, the unique places are what people like to come to,” says Sioux Falls resident, Sue Davis.

During many customers’ shopping frenzy, they chose to stay local and shop small. Mom and Pop shops are what make the majority of stores at the Moorhead Center Mall.

“Small businesses are kind of the heart of the community. They’re right here. They’re us doing our own businesses. So it really supports the community more directly than sending your money off somewhere else,” says Moorhead Mayor Del Rae Williams.

Small Business Saturday lies between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a weekend where shoppers take advantage of the extra sales. But local stores are able to offer more of a personal touch for holiday shoppers.

“We’re here for personalized service and one on one attention. And we can almost always answer every question that you got,” says Quilted Ladybug owner, Lisa Hage.

At the Quilted Ladybug, customer service and quality come first. This quilt shop is one of the three in the Fargo–Moorhead area. Customers even from out of town are making sure to stop in and check out what the store has to offer.

“Hardcore quilters hit every quilt shop in the towns that they go through. Because we like to touch and feel and make sure things match right. And you can’t get that online. You can’t get that at a chain store. You get the personalized service and that kind of thing at quilt shops,” says Davis.

Supporting small businesses can have a big time effect for local stores. Consumers spent $14.3 billion dollars on this one day event last year.