Frankfort Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on Nov. 29.
There is a way for residents to support Frankfort schools, parks, police and fire departments without ever even leaving the village, and it’s easy: Shop small.
The 2018 holiday shopping season is well underway, and Saturday, Nov. 24, some shoppers chose to avoid the mall and shop small for Small Business Saturday. With progressive discounts from 8 a.m.-noon at participating businesses, shoppers were able to utilize the attractive deals to find unique products and services offered by downtown shops.
Small Business Saturday takes place annually on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, encouraging consumers
to stay local and bring more holiday traffic to local businesses. The movement was founded in 2010 to help small businesses hurting by the recession, and within a year gained national momentum that resulted in the Senate unanimously passing a resolution in support of the day.
Here in Frankfort, Small Business Saturday is an opportunity for residents to take advantage of great deals at local shops, but also a chance for those in the community and beyond to become acquainted with the locally owned stores.
Pam Pivaronas, owner of the Silver Strand Boutique on Ash Street, said that SmallBusiness Saturday is one of her favorite days of the year. “My favorite part is connecting with people that I may not see all year, but then also seeing frequent faces,” Pivaronas said. “It’s a time I try to encourage everyone to shop small all year.”
“Any small purchase is huge for a local business,” said Kristen Schoon, owner of Lil’ Surprises. “At everystore in Frankfort, there’s something small that you can buy, whether that be just a bow or a greeting card. That small purchase makes a tremendous difference, and it goes right back to the community.”
For Mandy Flores, of Frankfort, shopping small isn’t something new to her, but the slashed prices throughout downtown shops on Saturday morning made it even more worth her while to shop. “I live in the town, and I want to support the town I live in,” Flores stated.
As Flores browsed LouLou Belle, she stated that she enjoys shopping at local boutiques over big box stores for the variety and unique products that aren’t carried elsewhere. “All of the stores down here carry beautiful, original pieces that aren’t mass produced for Amazon,” she said.
Those rare pieces are something of a specialty for Pivaronas. At her boutique, she aims to only carry American-made items that are often created by local artists. She loves that when people shop with her, they can rest easy knowing that they won’t run into someone else wearing the same off the mannequin.
“I try to buy original merchandise that you’re not going to see in the big box stores,” Pivaronas explained. “People will ask if I’m getting more in of a particular style, but usually the answer is no – I carry these items to be unique and individual, and when they’re gone, they’re gone and it’s time to move onto something else.”
The Historic Downtown Frankfort shops offer an experience that’s as unique as the shops and their products. Pivaronas recommends the experience of downtown over any mall, any day. “It’s easy parking, then you can go to eat or get a coffee before you head out shopping for everything you need, rather than going to a big mall and fighting for a parking spot. It’s become a bit sterile in my opinion, but shopping small can change that.”
Original source can be found here.
Source: Frankfort Chamber of Commerce
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