Small Business Saturday 2021: ‘Shop Small’ In Sarasota

SARASOTA, FL — Local businesses in Sarasota hope to make the most of Small Business Saturday and other promotions as the coronavirus pandemic continues to redefine the holiday shopping season.

Independently owned boutiques, gift shops, mom-and-pop hardware stores, restaurants and the like in Sarasota are facing unprecedented challenges as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic changes how Americans do their holiday shopping.

The list of local businesses participating in Small Business Saturday in the Sarasota area continues to grow. Here are a few of them:

• Once Upon A Child (2300 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota): All shoppers enjoy 20 percent off all purchases Saturday.
• Scavengers Marketplace SRQ (1175 North Washington Blvd., Sarasota): Meet local artists at the Mistletoe Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• A Good Yarn (5736 Clark Road, Sarasota): The shop has partnered with two local knitwear designers, Barbara Benson and Cat Buchmueller, to create special bundled patterns. Once you’ve selected your patterns at Ravelry or in the shop, the store will help you find your yarn.
• Sarasota Jungle Gardens (3701 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota): Every annual pass purchased on Black Friday or Small Business Saturday will be good for 15 months rather than 12.
• The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime (821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota): Many of the more than 40 creators and curators will offer special deals. There will also be live music.
• Virsana Salon (107 Tampa Ave. W., Venice): Enjoy special deals including 30 percent off Donna Bella hair extensions, $50 off Oways HStraighten treatment and 20 percent off BaByliss Tools.
• The Axe Haus (740 Sumter Crossing Drive, North Port): Throw axes Saturday for 25 percent off the normal rates and get 15 percent off general admission gift card purchases.

American Express launched the “Shop Small” movement in 2010 to encourage people to support local businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Since then, it has evolved into a year-round effort to encourage people to support the mom-and-pop businesses and local shops in Sarasota and elsewhere around the country.

Last year, Americans spent about $20 billion on Small Business Saturday, up slightly from the year before.

Supporting local businesses is important, according to American Express, which estimates that 67 cents of every $1 spent remains in the local community. That amounts to about $67 billion that has stayed in local communities since Small Business Saturday began, according to the financial services company.

A Shop Small Consumer Impact survey from American Express before the pandemic found that 73 percent of people think empty storefronts are a national issue, and 84 percent agree the increase in empty storefronts and the closings of small, independently owned businesses negatively affect their local communities.

The survey showed that when consumers are aware of the impact of spending their dollars locally, 75 percent said they would be more likely to purchase a product or service from small, independently owned businesses.

Small businesses have been pummeled by the pandemic, according to a study by economist Susan Woodward. The study looked at the bank deposits of nearly 1 million small businesses with 10 or fewer employees, from every major sector and industry, during the first year of the pandemic.

The study, commissioned by Intuit QuickBooks, looked at bank deposits by the approximately 1 million small businesses using the company’s software and anonymized, aggregated data from the users.

In Florida, small business was down 23 percent in the first full year of the pandemic.

Retailers and personal care businesses, such as barbers and hair salons, were among the businesses hardest hit by the pandemic, but have enjoyed a stronger recovery than other sectors, according to the study.

In general, Woodward’s study also showed:

• The pandemic’s biggest impact on small business revenue was in April 2020, when revenues fell by 22 percent nationwide, equivalent to $4.6 billion for that month alone.
• The top performers over the past year are home improvement and real estate businesses. The annual revenue of mortgage bankers increased by 30 percent compared with pre-pandemic levels — an average increase of $147,000 per business.
• The recreation industry had some of the hardest-hit small businesses. For example, annual revenues at bowling alleys were down 33 percent by the end of March 2021, an average drop of more than $250,000 per business.
• Small businesses in high-density urban areas — especially in states located on the East and West coasts — experienced a greater financial impact from the pandemic. Areas hit the hardest include New York City, especially Brooklyn, and San Francisco.