Mom and pop retailers gear up for Small Business
Saturday, a day used to promote mom-and-pop retailers, and many towns are doing their best to support the effort. Back in 2018, an estimated 104 million consumers shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They spent $17.8 billion, the most since the shopping event was created by American Express in 2010 to help drum up business in the wake of the Great Recession. Kathi Petrocelli opened The Olive Tap in 2006, right before that economic downturn started. The shop, which sells olive oil, balsamic vinegars and gourmet foods, is one of 49 small businesses in downtown Long Grove, Illinois. On Small Business Saturday, the store will usually see a few hundred customers more than it would on a regular holiday season day, she said. The town works with the American Express Small Business Saturday campaign to promote the event, and individual retailers like The Olive Tap promote it on their social media accounts and flyers. “Our village prides itself ...