As Americans feel their wallets tighten this Black Friday, Orlando’s small businesses are counting on the loyalty of customers in their community to ensure steady business.
Sarah Johnson-Markve is the owner of the Good Crowd gift shop along Edgewater Drive in College Park. She said while financial conditions have made the past few years tough for retail, but so far this year’s holiday shopping season feels the same in sales as last year’s.
Photos capture enduring enthusiasm for Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year
She credits that to the community she has built around the shop since she opened it in 2019.
“They want to shop small. Sure, they might need to go get some electronics at a big box store,” she said. “But what they are really looking for is how to support small businesses on Black Friday as well.”
A pedestrian walks with his dog past Bijou’s Boutique in College Park, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. College Park is one of the neighborhoods participating in Small Business Saturday, with the City of Orlando running shuttles into their Main Street Districts for holiday shopping on Nov. 29. As a part of the national small business promotion held annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, participating districts include Audubon Park, Garden District, City District, Curry Ford West, College Park, Ivanhoe Village, Gateway District, The Milk District, Mills 50, Parramore, SoDo, Thornton Park, and West Lakes. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Robyn Bertram, who was at the Good Crowd Friday afternoon to buy gifts for her friends, agreed with the sentiment, although she said there are many who are not in the financial position to do the same.
“I love supporting local businesses. They always, always have great stuff in here,” she said. “…I’m fortunate enough to be in the same circumstances that I was last year, but I know a lot of people are not in that boat.”
Johnson-Markve described the holiday shopping season, which opened on Friday — often referred to as “Black Friday because it was once considered the point where businesses’ ledgers went from red to black — as a small business’s Super Bowl. Without success during the holiday season, she said “it’s going to be tough to get through the rest of the year.” Today is often considered “Small Business Saturday,” an opportunity to shop local.
As for why residents are so loyal to small businesses, she said it’s because of how the businesses make them feel.
“Our favorite part about being part of the College Park community, the Orlando community, is we are a safe place for people to come and just get a little dose of joy,” she said. “And I know they feel that, and I know that’s why they come back.”
Shopper Tim Bradstreet talks with Tim Varan, left, owner of Tim’s Wine Market on North Orange Ave. in Ivanhoe Village, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Ivanhoe Village is one of the neighborhoods participating in Small Business Saturday, with the City of Orlando running shuttles into their Main Street Districts for holiday shopping on Nov. 29. As a part of the national small business promotion held annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, participating districts include Audubon Park, Garden District, City District, Curry Ford West, College Park, Ivanhoe Village, Gateway District, The Milk District, Mills 50, Parramore, SoDo, Thornton Park, and West Lakes. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
Seth Daniels, co-founder of the Freehand Goods gift shop on Edgewater Drive that sells Florida-themed apparel, agreed this holiday season feels the same as last year’s. He said he’s seen an upward growth trend over the past few years and predicts this holiday season will be a successful one.
He agreed that customer loyalty plays a crucial role in the shop’s success.
“Even if it’s a small handful of people who know about your business or your store and return to it intentionally to support, it is huge,” he said, “because it’s also a lot more expensive for us, smaller guys to keep the wheels turning.”
But some residents out on Edgewater Drive weren’t there to shop.
Christian Tiblier and his family were getting coffee after going on a picnic earlier in the morning. They were now on the way to look at bicycles to get their children for Christmas. He said one reason his family weren’t shopping was because of finances.
“Funds are tighter. For the kids, it’s like we’re being more thoughtful about what we’re actually getting them and what’s worth it,” he said.
Orlando residents who want to support small businesses this holiday season will have the option Saturday to ride the MerryMobile — a new, free holiday shuttle that will take them across twelve neighborhoods including College Park, Thornton Park, SoDo and Ivanhoe Village to enjoy their shops, cafés, boutiques and eateries.
The shuttle is the first of its kind and will be available Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.