On Nov. 26 individuals across the country chose to forgo the big-box stores and shop small.
People bought their Christmas trees and tree stands at local hardware stores, they stepped inside boutiques to purchase scarves and gloves to keep warm and they perused the shelves of antique stores and specialty shops for unique gift items for every person on their list.
This year was the second annual Small Business Saturday, held on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. The concept is centered on making a huge impact on the economy through making purchases at small mom-and-pop-type stores. This not only puts more money into the pockets of local merchants, allowing them to hire more employees, give back to the community and spend more money themselves in other shops, but it also raises the amount of sales tax generated locally in each city and county.
This means more funds in community coffers for fire and police protection, more money to make improvements to water and sewer lines, more money to pay employees and more money to help school and civic organizations.
So, instead of letting this effort fade out after one Saturday, why don’t we all make a pledge to buy from small businesses throughout this season and even after the holidays. We can only imagine the impact that could make!
— Editorial staff, Tryon Daily Bulletin