Across the state, small business owners offered sales and special events around the day focused on bringing customers to locally owned establishments.
In Cobb County, the Smyrna Business Association uses the day to urge neighbors to visit the city’s brick-and-mortar shops — whether they’re a mom-and-pop store or a franchise of a larger company. This is the second time they’ve held Shop Smyrna Saturday, said Smyrna Business Association President Sara Sorenson.
This year, organizers hoped to increase foot traffic by offering three $100 gift cards that will be raffled off to those who visited one of the 16 participating businesses and scanned the business’ QR code.
“The goal is to draw people to recognize and know our local businesses to spend money at the start of the holiday season and all holiday season long at local businesses and keep that money in the community,” said Sorenson, who owns a law practice in Smyrna.
The “shop local” day also comes before Cyber Monday, an annual day designed to encourage holiday shoppers to go online.
An average of 67 cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local community, according to the 2018 Small Business Economic Impact Study from American Express. In a separate 2018 study, the National Federation of Independent Businesses and American Express found that roughly 90 percent of consumers believe it’s more important than ever to support local retailers.
Americans spent about $20 billion on Small Business Saturday last year, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, up slightly from the year before.
However, this time last year, spending in Georgia was down about 8.8% compared to the beginning of the pandemic, according to an economic tracker run by Harvard University. Georgians are spending 22.1% more than they were at the beginning of the pandemic, as of Nov. 14.
Employee Kate Dabson (C) works with Katy Nichols and her son Hiden (6) to make decorations at an AR Workshop during Small Business Saturday in Smyrna November 27, 2021. STEVE SCHAEFER FOR THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Katy Nichols, a Smyrna resident, stopped by A&R Worskshop in Smyrna to make ornaments with her family who is in town visiting for Thanksgiving. It’s the second time the family has made the trip to the do-it-yourself home decor studio.
“This has been a great fun thing for us to do with the family,” she said. “It’s great that Smyrna is finding ways to get people to shop at local businesses.”
