Business

Shoppers spend billions on Small Business Saturday

Etsy sellers are joining Small Business Saturday, hoping for a Black Friday like boost.

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Etsy sellers are joining Small Business Saturday, hoping for a Black Friday like boost.

Etsy seller Matthew Demeo has been preparing for the holidays since October.

The shopping season is key for Demeo, who owns Mateo Mattia in New Rochelle, New York. Sales for his handmade leather goods can increase by more than 100 percent during the holidays.

“It is exciting to be around other small retailers and small makers and its people who think like me, act like me and work like me. We are all kind of in this same court together,” he said.

The American Express sponsored holiday is in its eighth year and has seen grassroots support for local businesses increase in a big way. Last year, some 112 million customers reported shopping at independently-owned businesses according to AMEX, up from 95 million the previous year, spending more than $15 billion on the day.

"I feel like small businesses are what makes a city move. It's what makes a community move," said Raleigh shopper Tracy O'Shea.

At the corner of Hargett and Wilmington streets, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance was setting up shop Saturday morning, handing out shopping guides, tote bags and even holding a raffle.

"Whether you're trying to buy a stocking stuffer or a cup of coffee, it goes a long way when you go and support the local merchant community," said Bob Hagh, communications director for the Downtown Raleigh Alliance.

Rachel Markey, who returned from Washington D.C. to visit her family in Raleigh for the holidays, said she has always tried to shop small.

"My parents have always owned their own businesses, so we have kind of always supported local," she said.

O'Shea, who is also a small business owner, said the day is important to her on several fronts.

"My small business pays for preschool and gas for my car. It doesn't pay for a big CEO, it doesn't pay for big companies," she said.

This year, about 7,000 communities nationwide are gearing up to participate in the day. In Chapel Hill, parking will br free in all town-owned parking lots and metered parking spaces through 5 p.m. on Small Business Saturday to encourage local shoppers.

“A small merchant can give that personal service, personal touch, that recommendation. The fact that they know you, they see you, you come back on a daily basis, that is really, really important to consumers,” said small business owner Sara Stroman. “That personalized service, I think, that is what a small merchant, small establishment, small retailer can do. That customer experience, a unique one, that personalized experience is what makes it so special.”

That customer experience is what Stroman, who owns a stationary shop, believes sets her apart from big box competitors. She will also be at the Etsy sellers’ marketplace Saturday, selling her handmade stationary. During the holidays, she sees her sales go up by about 50 percent.

“It’s completely different to buy something from someone who actually made it and I think that’s important,” Stroman said.

Data shows that customers agree with Stroman. According to American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business, 61 percent of consumers said they are aware of Small Business Saturday and 82 percent plan to either shop or dine small on that day.

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