ST. CLOUD (WJON News) — With Black Friday in the rear view mirror, many local businesses are encouraging people to shop local on Saturday. Small Business Saturday was started over 15 years ago as a way to gain exposure for local businesses and for people to support their hometown stores.
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Woods Farmers Seed and Nursery’s Morgan Franzwa says Small Business Saturday is more important to them than Black Friday:
“Small Business Saturday is huge for us. It’s just one of those things where you’re supporting your small businesses and we couldn’t do it without our customers and that’s one thing dad has always said too is that we want to value our customers’ time and money, and all that kind of stuff, and just make it doable for them to come on in here and make that extra trip.”
Franzwa says they want to make things memorable for the customers and keep them happy as they leave the store.
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Small Business Saturday is a big lift up for independent stores like Fitzharris Ski Bike and Outdoor, which has been a downtown St. Cloud mainstay for almost three-quarters of a century. Fitzharris Manager Benjamin Walz says it’s cool for the spotlight to get shown on small businesses:
“There’s so much commercial media and the big box pushing everything, so it means a lot when people actually come in here and spend their time and their hard-earned dollars to support us and the fun that we support and just kind of creating that environment, that circle of fun, so it means a lot to have that upper spotlight.”
Walz says often small, local businesses get overshadowed by the big box stores, so having their own day is special. Fitzharris will celebrate its 75th Anniversary in 2027.
Minnesota has about 447,000 small businesses that employ about one point two million people. About 20% of a small business’s annual revenue can come from holiday shopping.
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
Paul Habstritt, WJON
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