Shop Small Black Friday And Small Business Saturday In Bel Air

BEL AIR, MD — Independently owned boutiques, gift shops and mom-and-pop hardware stores compete mightily against malls, big box stores and online retailers. Small Business Saturday, held annually the Saturday after Thanksgiving, was created to give these smaller enterprises a boost, and in Bel Air, several locally owned businesses are participating.

This year, some of them are hosting Black Friday sales as well. The Collectors Corner on Main Street is even opening up on Thanksgiving at 10 p.m. for those looking for deals and giveaways.

These businesses are involved in Shop Small Black Friday and Small Business Saturday in Bel Air:

• Bel Air Downtown Alliance - various downtown shops
  • B. Fabulous, 52 N. Main St., Bel Air
    • 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23
    • 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24
      • First 60 people receive a free twisted gold cuff bracelet, no purchase necessary
      • 50 percent off sale rack
      • 20 percent off store, except sale items and
      • $25 bundle tunic and Christmas scarf
  • Boutique 44, 140 N. Bond St., Bel Air
    • 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23
      • First 30 customers get a free coffee at Newberry Cafe next door
      • 7-9 a.m. infinity scarves are $9.95; after 9 a.m., they are $12
    • 9 a.m.-6 p.m.on Saturday, Nov. 24
      • First 25 customers get a free gift
  • Collectors Corner, 17 N. Main St., Bel Air
    • Doors open at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 22), 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
      • First 50 in line on Thanksgiving get a free Collectors Corner tote filled with comics, graphic novels and toys worth $25; one bag will have a $50 gift certificate to the store
      • First 25 in line get free ticket to "Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Wrecks the Internet" movie
      • 50 percent off comics, games, toys and collectibles
      • First 50 in line get a $10 Black Friday Gift Certificate that is good toward a $100 or more purchase with sale discounts applied valid Thanksgiving/Black Friday only
      • See all deals on this page for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday
  • Julie Ellyn Designs, 18 S. Main St., Bel Air
    • 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23
    • 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24
      • New designs will be out for the event
      • There's also a new selfie window
  • Love Evolution Studio, 37 N. Main St., Bel Air
    • 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24 stop by for refreshments and in-studio specials
  • The Nest on Main, 110 S. Main St., Bel Air
    • 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23
    • 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24
      • Every customer gets a free gift with purchase on Saturday.
      • Fall items are 40 percent off
  • Pink Silhouette, 54 N. Main St., Bel Air
    • 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23
    • 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24
      • 20 percent off store
      • 25 percent Off Alex & Ani
      • First 60 people on Black Friday receive a Christmas bracelet, no purchase necessary
        
        
  • Smiles and Shines Boutique, 6 Office St., Bel Air
    • 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23
      • Buy one, get anything in store 50 percent off (except paintings and My Holy Jeans)
    • Special sales on Saturday, Nov. 24
  • Tiger Lily Boutique, 19 N. Main St., Bel Air
    • 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23:
      • 40 percent 0ff store (except art, candles, FP bras, gift cards) from 7-8 a.m.
      • Mystery discount 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Tiny Toes, 4 N. Main St., Bel Air
    • Shop online Thanksgiving and get 20 percent off using code GOBBLE at checkout
    • 8-10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 23, get 30 percent off in store
    • Get a $25 gift card with $125 purchase; store hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24
  • To Wag For, 8 N. Main St., Bel Air
    • 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24
      • Adoption event with Black Dog Rescue
  • Urban Pearl, 13 N. Main St., Bel Air
    • 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23, and Saturday, Nov. 24
      • Treats and mimosas each morning, 7-9 a.m.
      • 50 percent off Stuffed sale rack
      • 30 percent off Curvy Girl clothing both days
      • 20 percent off all clothing both days, 8-9 a.m.
      • 15 percent off full-priced clothing both days, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
      • 10 percent off Spanx
      • Giveaway raffles for goodie bag
      • Giveaway raffle for those who spend at least $200 for six $50 gift
  • Velvet Trunk, 10 S. Main St., Bel Air
    • Mimosas, coupons
    • 20 percent off from 9-11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 23
• The Green Door, 2202 Conowingo Road, Bel Air
  • 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24
    • First 20 purchases get a free gift
    • Free holiday gift wrapping
    • All furniture is 2o to 50 percent off

Did we miss any Small Business Saturday events or deals in Bel Air? Add them in the comments, or better yet, post them directly on Patch.

We will include more deals as they are revealed.

This year, 91 percent of consumers surveyed by American Express and its partner, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, said they think it’s more important than ever to support small businesses this holiday season, and 83 percent plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping at independently owned retailers or restaurants, either in person or online.

American Express established Small Business Saturday in 2010 to help local businesses reeling from the Great Recession. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution a year later encouraging businesses in all 50 states to participate in what has morphed into a nationwide “shop small” movement. Last year, some 7,200 local businesses in all 50 states participated.

The Small Business Experience

Small Business Saturday events include not only sales on things you won’t find at the mall or other places, but events that bring the community together.

In Bel Air, the busy shopping day coincides with the Festival of Trees, which features Christmas trees, gingerbread houses and wreaths made by local organizations and individuals that are then sold during a silent auction. Proceeds benefit the Cancer LifeNet program at Upper Chesapeake's Kaufman Cancer Center.

There will be entertainment, including children's activities, as well as a bake sale at the Festival of Trees.

Here are the details for the 13th annual Festival of Trees:

• Hours:
  • 4-8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 23
  • Saturday hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24

• Location
  • Bel Air Reckord Armory, 37 N. Main St., Bel Air

• Admission
  • $7 to get in
  • Free for kids under 12
  • Here is a coupon for $2 off admission.

Why It's So Good To Shop Small

What’s happened during the history of Small Business Saturday has helped independent retailers and restaurants keep their doors open. Their customers have spent an estimated $85 billion during the first eight Small Business Saturday events, according to American Express.

"Shopping small has a significant and positive effect on local communities, and we hope Small Business Saturday will help to amplify that effect during the crucial holiday shopping season,” Elizabeth Rutledge, chief marketing officer at American Express, said in a statement. “When we spend local, small businesses thrive. And when small businesses thrive, we all thrive.”

A new study commissioned by American Express shows that U.S. small businesses contribute $4.8 trillion to the GDP, equivalent to that of Japan, which has the third-largest economy in the world. The Small Business Economic Impact Study takes a county-level look at the economic benefits of shopping locally and how vital small businesses are to communities.

Among the findings:

• An average of two-thirds of every dollar spent at small businesses in the U.S. stays in the community.
• Every dollar spent at a small business creates an additional 50 cents in local business activity as a result of employee spending and businesses purchasing local goods and services.
• For every 10 jobs at a small business, another seven are supported in the local community.

As shopping habits further shift from brick-and-mortar stores to online marketplaces, nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they’ll seek out small, independently owned retailers while they’re perusing the internet. Among them, 59 percent say they’ll shop online on Small Business Saturday, and 40 percent said they plan to shop on a small retailer’s website on Cyber Monday, observed on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Retailers that buy in bulk may be able offer a lower price — or not — but there’s more at stake for independent businesses.

“For small business owners, their business is not just a business,” American Express says. “To them, it is an extension of who they are. Giving the local businesses within your community a chance is crucial to not only their survival, but to give them an opportunity to win you over as a customer.”

— By Patch editors Beth Dalbey and Elizabeth Janney

File photo of downtown Bel Air by Elizabeth Janney.