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Photo provided by Debbie Williamson of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
Last Saturday shop owners across Eugene woke early. They opened their shops ready to welcome customers eager to kick-off the holidays by shopping local. Started by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday connects local customers to the small businesses that help make our community special.  
 
Our local small business community adds diversity and resiliency to the community. They play a key role in creating a thriving regional economy. These businesses create jobs that employ neighbors and friends, they bring unique products and services to our market, and they add fuel to the economy.
 
At the chamber we know having a small business community adds diversity and resiliency to the local community. Events like Small Business Saturday highlight the impact of these contributions to our local landscape. They connect consumers with local businesses who offer the products and services unique to our region. Supporting our local businesses helps to further the creativity and passion that makes this community an amazing place to live, work, and celebrate the holidays.
​In fact, American Independent Business Alliance says small businesses benefit our towns in many ways.
  • Each dollar spent at a small business returns 3 times more money to our local economy than one spent at a national chain store, and almost 50 times more than buying from an online mega-retailer.
  • Small businesses donate more than twice as much per sales dollar to local nonprofits than national chain stores.
  • Independent businesses have a 92 percent customer satisfaction rate compared to an 83 percent rate for national chain stores.
Nicole's favorite quote as a small business owner?

" When you buy from a small business an actual person does a little happy dance".  

Check-out Heritage Dry Goods at their new location downtown. 

Local Business Owner Nicole Desch Talks with Us About the Impact 

How was the Small Business Saturday experience for you?
​It was great!  We had so many excited shoppers, it was a really positive vibe and people felt like they were really making an impact with their dollars.

Did your shoppers mention  why they were choosing to support local businesses?
Yes, we had several shoppers talk about supporting local businesses and the importance of shopping at independent retailers.  People understand that if they don't support local businesses they will go away, and how sad would it be if all you had were generic chain stores.

Why do you think events like Small Business Saturday are important to our community? 
They remind people how important it is to support your local economy through supporting small local businesses.  It also brings people together in a fun festive atmosphere to get out and walk around; see what all downtown has to offer.  Maybe check out some new shops or eateries; get together with friends and family to support their community.

What does the rest of the holiday season look like for you?
We love this time of year!! People are out and about looking for something special and unique for everyone on their list and we are here to help them find that something special.  Unlike chain store we work with independent artisans and small manufactures to bring you beautiful items you won't find anywhere else.  We also design many of our own products so this is the only place you will find them at.

If people missed the events on Saturday, what are your suggestions for the rest of the season?
Get out and shop local this holiday!  It is not just about one day it is about changing habits to think about supporting your community through shopping local and keeping your dollars local.  It is about supporting independent makers and artisans and their families through voting with your dollars on what matters to you.  

Collaboration Fuels Small Business Saturday Success

This year's local downtown business leaders came together in a coordinated effort. Susan Costa, owner of Mosaic Fair Trade, chaired the first-ever small business event for the Downtown Eugene Merchants. Susan worked to bring a group of local downtown retailers together to create a successful Small Business Saturday experience for local shoppers.

"Downtown Eugene Merchants are very proud that we have many unique, fun businesses that give downtown its special character. DEM is also very excited that the City of Eugene has been working hard to make our downtown safer, more pleasant, and more vibrant. We are so very grateful for everyone who supported our Small Business Saturday and our local economy," said Costa. 

To support these efforts, the City of Eugene opened up parking for free downtown. "We were excited to partner with the Downtown Eugene Merchants to support local businesses and make the holiday shopping experience better for everyone," says Jeff Petry, the Parking and Technology Manager for the City of Eugene. 

Check-out the local media coverage of these coordinated efforts on KEZI. 

When Shopping Local Becomes a Tradition

 Eugene local, Debbie Williamson spent the day shopping local and sharing her finds. From poinsettias purchased from Jerry's to buying treats at Euphoria, Debbie spent Saturday at all her favorite places. She even stopped at St. Vinnie's to pick up warm winter coats for the Egan Warming Center. 

Pictured above are a few of her stops at chamber member businesses:
"I started celebrating Shop Small Saturday in 2011 when I was raining SLUG Queen and it has become one of my favorite days! The best part is that you can shop small 365 days a year," Debbie Williamson.