Minneapolis, MN
Small Business Saturday event in North Loop highlights local shopping
Shoppers looking to support small, local businesses following the rush of Black Friday got the opportunity this weekend.
Small Business Saturday is when small businesses offer deals during the busy holiday shopping season and encourage people to shop locally.
The state of Minnesota says there are 500,000 small businesses across the state, and in Minneapolis’ North Loop, 12 businesses hosted the ‘Shop Small Crawl.’
“Small Business Saturday creating a day that is intentionally focused on the small locally owned businesses is really huge,” said Rachel Cafferty, the owner of Story and Teller.
Cafferty opened the home goods shop online last year and then moved to North Loop about eight months ago.
Her business, along with her next-door neighbor Treats Cereal Bar & Boba and the Hewing Hotel, are just a few to host the Shop Small Crawl.
Visitors got a postcard and if they visited all 12 shops, they got the chance to win a prize valued at over $1,200. Shoppers who turned in their cards will find out if they won a prize next week.
The state of Minnesota says small businesses employ 75% of Minnesotans.
Many businesses are still trying to bounce back from the pandemic and deal with inflation, with so many relying on Small Business Saturday to help boost sales.
“Supporting small local businesses keeps those dollars in your community,” said Cafferty. “And having a dedicated day to really drum up support helps make sure that our doors stay open so we can continue to bring value and connection into our neighborhoods here in the Twin Cities.”
This second surge of cold air has made and will continue to make for a bitter feel to the outdoors. Wind chills will stay subzero for most of the state Saturday with parts of southern Minnesota barely feeling above zero. FOX 9 meteorologist Jared Piepenburg has the full forecast.
Posted
MINNEAPOLIS — Small businesses along one of Minneapolis’ busiest corridor struggled to stay open through this summer’s construction and some didn’t survive.
But there’s new hope along Hennepin now that the first phase of the Hennepin Avenue South reconstruction project wrapped up. This means the stretch between West Lake Street and West 26th Street is open once again.
8 months ago, Robert Sorenson was bracing for a major economic hit.
“It’s been extremely difficult,” Sorenson said.
The good news, Bobby Bead still stands though on shaky ground.
“It’s been a disaster for all businesses on this block,” Sorenson said.
Since construction began, Sorenson says his sales have plummeted by 90% forcing him to take out a loan just to keep the lights on.
Hoban Korean BBQ is also feeling the heat. Tarpeh says the lack of customers directly impacts his pockets as a server taking home about $500 less a paycheck since the construction began. But he’s banking on the reopening and customer support to help them bounce back.
Last year — Americans spent a whopping $17 billion on Small Business Saturday. A boost that these businesses say they need.
“Looking forward to business returning to normal,” Sorenson said.
The second phase of the project will reconstruct Hennepin Avenue from 26th Street to Douglas Avenue in 2025.
Uptown small businesses ready for Saturday surge
Small Business Saturday is coming just in time for Uptown Minneapolis. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard has the full story.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Small Business Saturday is here, and it’s coming just in time for Uptown Minneapolis.
Shopping local
Nationally, people spent $17 billion at small businesses on the day last year.
The beeps have started on a milestone weekend for Comma, A Bookshop.
Small Business Saturday is the second anniversary of the store’s opening.
“We’re doing some specials and giveaways,” said owner Victoria Ford. “We’re going to have birthday cake, we’re doing a book drive for the Queer Space Collective.”
And maybe most importantly, they’ll be doing great sales as people turn their holiday shopping focus away from big box stores and to small, local businesses.
“A day like that makes a huge difference in our overall success over the year,” Ford said. “It’s typically our second busiest day of the year.”
The boost is especially appreciated in places like Uptown, where businesses have struggled recently, and construction on Hennepin didn’t help.
Foot traffic returns
Seven months of closures ended Tuesday.
“With the roads opening up this week and with the holidays and everything, it actually brings that regular business,” said Uptown Diner general manager Pablo Forero. “This is what it’s usually been like for us. So it’s nice to see.”
People packed the Uptown Diner for lunch Friday, but small business owners aren’t sure yet if they’re back to normal or if it’s just a holiday weekend bubble.
They know for sure a lot of the neighboring storefronts have gone vacant in the last four or five years and they’d love to see foot traffic back where it was before the pandemic.
“People were scared away for various reasons,” said Jeff Veigel, who owns Isles Bun & Coffee. “So it’s like, come back. The lakes are still here. It’s still a nice area to walk around. Still a nice area to shop and to live.”
His coffee and pastry shop — known for the frosted cinnamon twists called puppy dog tails — filled up on Friday as well, but Uptown sidewalks were mostly empty as wind chills dipped near zero.
But businesses like Isles, and Magers and Quinn, and the Uptown Diner are hoping to see big crowds for Small Business Saturday.
And that their success spills over.
Community impact
“We bring in more people and then more people come around and check out the businesses that are around us as well,” Forero said.
The U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that when you spend $100 at a small business, $48 stay in the community.
If you spend it at a big-box store or national retailer, only $14 stays.
“We hope for more of it,” said Veigel. “We hope that people remember that year-round.”
Baking in the best-case scenario before another round of construction in 2025.
Chicago-area police officer killed while responding to 'armed offender' at bank, suspect charged
New wall construction at Texas border kicks off with family of slain Jocelyn Nungaray watching
Florida man dies after getting knocked off boat, caught in propeller
Liberal Nantucket reels from migrant crime wave as Biden spends Thanksgiving in rich friend’s mansion
Third expensive package reported intercepted in Southern California this month
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Fauci ripped over new paper criticizing Trump on coronavirus, promoting natural origin theory: 'Embarrassment'
Ukraine under pressure as Russia makes advances on frontline
Hamas releases propaganda video showing Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander
Abortions slightly declined the year Roe v. Wade was overturned, CDC says
Ukrainian men face sexual torture in Russian detention centres: UN
-
Health1 week agoHoliday gatherings can lead to stress eating: Try these 5 tips to control it
-
Science5 days agoDespite warnings from bird flu experts, it's business as usual in California dairy country
-
Health5 days agoCheekyMD Offers Needle-Free GLP-1s | Woman's World
-
Technology4 days agoLost access? Here’s how to reclaim your Facebook account
-
Entertainment3 days agoReview: A tense household becomes a metaphor for Iran's divisions in 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig'
-
Technology2 days agoUS agriculture industry tests artificial intelligence: 'A lot of potential'
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24007866/acastro_STK109_microsoft_02.jpg "Microsoft pauses Windows 11 updates for PCs with some Ubisoft games installed")
Technology7 days agoMicrosoft pauses Windows 11 updates for PCs with some Ubisoft games installed
-
Sports15 hours agoOne Black Friday 2024 free-agent deal for every MLB team