Holiday shopping season kickoff continues across Tri-State Area with Small Business Saturday
NEW YORK -- The holiday shopping season continued in the Tri-State Area with Small Business Saturday.
A winter wonderland pop-up market sponsored by Wells Fargo was held in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Visitors were able to take a stroll and see all of the foods showcased by crafters, creatives and local merchants.
Small business owners say they're hoping for a big boost in sales as they continue to rebound from the pandemic.
"The big businesses never had to shut down. They stayed open through the whole pandemic and they made massive amounts of money, where most small businesses failed ... To still be above water, to still be able to say 'Black by Design' is still here, is a monumental feat to say the least," Black by Design owner Dineta Gilmore said.
The festive day also included a performance by the Brooklyn United Marching Band.
Locally owned businesses in Harlem also held Small Business Saturday events. From independent grocery stores to book stores, businesses were hoping to see a boost in sales.
"Let's face it, the way the economy is today, people are being very frugal on how they're spending their money, which is affecting especially small business because we can't compete with the big box stores," Central Market store manager Nicholas Palumbo said. "The rate of inflation today, we haven't seen inflation like this in 40 years, so it's definitely affecting businesses."
With more than 230,000 small businesses in New York City, spending your money locally not only gives the economy a boost, but keeps nearly 3.7 million people employed
"Small businesses are the ones creating jobs for New Yorkers, and if they don't do well, the city doesn't do well either, so come and support small businesses," said Isseu Diouf-Campbell, of Africa in Harlem.
There was a double celebration in Paterson, New Jersey, as the city officially kicked off the holiday season at City Hall with photos with Santa, dancing to holiday cheer and fun for the entire family.
The city also embraced Small Business Saturday.
"COVID-19 did a lot of damage on the bottom line for a lot of these businesses," Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said.
Regardless of the city, town, borough or township, residents and visitors alike have are encouraged to embrace the community and support small businesses.