Shoppers go local this Small Business Saturday

APPLETON - ‘Tis the season for shopping ‘til you drop, hustling with packages big and small for all your family and friends.

But this Small Business Saturday, shops in Appleton say small is the new big.

"For me it's just about raising awareness....when you support businesses like mine, it stays in the community,” said Michelle Pietrick, the owner of Dainty Daisies, a boutique on College Avenue.

Small Business Saturday, as it is known, encourages shoppers to look for gifts in those small locally owned shops.

Appleton Downtown, Inc. says every dollar spent at a local business returns 68 cents to the community.

Spend a dollar at a chain store, only 43 cents remains in the area.

Shops up and down College Avenue were reminding people that it's Small Business Saturday. But shoppers we spoke with say they usually like to shop locally.

"I like unique, and there's a lot of fun things so I get a lot of ideas, and things for my daughters for Christmas and for their birthdays. I really like it,” said Jan Eggert if Freedom.

Many of the stores in downtown Appleton offered discount and incentives for the special day. But the owners usually let their wares speak for themselves.

"You're giving a gift that's really unique, if not one-of-a-kind,” said Pietrick.

From kitschy hand-made and vintage items at Dainty Daisies to Christmas kibbles at Two Paws Up Bakery, store owners say it's nice to have their round-the-clock work appreciated by shoppers.

"I think this year has been a little busier than the other years. Black Friday we had quite a few people coming in,” said Alan Noyce, the owner of Two Paws Up Bakery.

Small shop owners say the big box stores opening before Black Friday this year may have actually helped the bottom lines of local businesses.

"I am seeing a trend. People are trying to support more locally. People were upset about businesses open on Thanksgiving. We were closed on Thanksgiving,” said Pietrick.

Shoppers say with a slower pace, and the extra touch of one-on-one customer service Small Business Saturday has kept their holiday spirits bright enough to outlast even the longest shopping list.

Small Business Saturday was started two years ago by the credit card company American Express. It says more than 100 million Americans shopped local last year on that day.