Shoppers Flock To Mom And Pop Shops For Small Business Saturday
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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – If there's still a few items left on your holiday shopping list after Black Friday, local business owners hope you'll spend your money with them Saturday.
CBS2's Clark Fouraker spoke to shopkeepers Saturday morning, who hope consumers keep the tradition of supporting local "Mom and Pop shops" on Small Business Saturday going.
"We put our heart and soul into being a small business. It's easy to go to the mall and create an experience in the mall, but a small business puts their heart, sweat equity, a whole bunch of love into their product," one owner said.
In Bryant Park, businesses set up temporary pop-up shops to try to attract every customer possible.
Across the Hudson in Hoboken, customers sought out and found local charm and local goods.
"When you shop at a mom and pop shop you're helping pay your family's rent," shopper Michela Curcio said.
Across the country, Small Business Saturday is working to give local retailers a piece of the holiday pie.
American Express used to give perks for people who shopped in small shops on the day after Black Friday, in the form of cash back or points. The company started the promotion back in 2010 as a way to boost sales for local shops after the country's economic recession. It's designed to make people consider places with one-off or unique products and more personalized experiences.
In some parts of New York City, small businesses get pushed out leaving vacancies as high as 20 to 30 percent.
"Never have the cards been stacked against small businesses so much" Third Avenue Business Development Executive Director Michael Brady said. "From excessive rents to property taxes to just the cost of doing business."
Frank Franz of the Bronx Business Improvement District says authenticity and tradition translates to loyalty and longevity in the famed Arthur Avenue neighborhood.
"Business is good, rents certainly go up... but no one's getting squeezed out," he said.
City leaders say a recent study for AmEx finds when you shop small, two thirds of every dollar spent stays in the community where the item or service was bought.
