Business Owners Celebrate Small Business Saturday, Talk Local Economy

Many owners say they feel embraced by the community - but that it's important that level of support remains consistent.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Small Business Saturday was started as a holiday slash marketing initiative back in 2010 to encourage shoppers to keep their dollar local – as proprietors know what kind of impact that can have on a region’s economy.

“With indie bookstores specifically, when you shop at an indie, over 29% of that purchase goes immediately back into the local community,” said Sydni Kreps, the owner of More Than Words in Moorhead.

She’s one of many businesspeople who went all-out with the promotions over the weekend to try and reel in the customers. And she says, by and large, it was a smashing success.

“Today has been so wonderful, despite a little snow and a little construction around us, we’ve been so lucky that so many people have come out,” she said.

Putting forth similar effort is the team at Holland’s in Fargo – with similar results.

“It was wonderful. We were pretty full of people all day,” said co-owner Sarah Liljestrand.

Liljestrand echoed Kreps’ sentiment regarding the health of the local economy at present, she says they’re still in continuous need of the community’s support – which is perhaps the main takeaway from this shopper’s holiday.

“I think it feels very strong in Fargo, actually, but I think we always just need that community support, and people have rallied around us this whole season and today especially,” she said. “That’s wonderful. That’s wonderful to feel.”