Small Business Saturday 2019: Where To Shop In Bel Air

You may not think about it much, but independently owned boutiques, gift shops, mom-and-pop hardware stores, restaurants and the like in Bel Air are fighting for survival against malls, big box stores and online retailers.

Small Business Saturday, held annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, was created to give them a boost and help level the field of competition. This year, the 10th anniversary of the “Shop Small” movement, the all-local shopping event falls on Nov. 30.

Here’s a handful of Bel Air businesses that have signed up so far:

• Vagabond Sandwich Company, 111 Thomas St
• Sean Bolan's Irish Pub, 12 S Main St
• One Eleven Main, 111 S Main St
• Margherita Pizza, 306 S Main St
• Charm City Run, 126 S Main St Ste 1
• Saxon's Diamond Center, 217 Baltimore Pike
• The Nest On Main, 110 South Main St
• Full Heart Soulutions, 107 S Main St
• Urban Pearl, 13 N Main St
• Mrs Flowers, 105 N Main St
• Tiny Toes, 4 N Main St
• The Auto Salon, 139 Baltimore Pike
• The Pink Silhouette, 54 N Main St
• Collectors Corner, 17 N Main St
• John's Men's Clothing, 10 W Pennsylvania Ave
• Red Polish Nail Bar, 309 S Main St
• Caprichos Books, 37 N Main St Ste 102
• Rapid Refill, 15 E Churchville Rd Ste 109
• Natural Gatherings, 106 N Main St
• Faye Daniel Designs, 24 S Main St
• Bel Air Shoe Repair, 203 Baltimore Pike
• Wockenfuss Candies, 20 Fulford Ave
• and many more.

The list of Small Business Saturday participants is growing, so before you head out to shop. “Shop Small” events include not only sales on things you won’t find at the mall or other shopping venues, but also events that bring the community together.

Starting Saturday and continuing through December, the Bel Air Downtown Alliance, Greater Bel Air Community Foundation, and the Town of Bel Air will a "Winter Wonderland" to downtown Bel Air. After you shop, head down to Main Street to check out tens of thousands of warm winter lights, sleigh rides, pictures with Santa and more.

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.

This year, the stakes are even higher for small businesses. Rising rents and shifting consumer behavior are causing many small business owners to shutter their shops, according to American Express.

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

“We recognize the hardships faced by small business owners today and want to inspire people to take notice and Shop Small to support their communities on Small Business Saturday and beyond,” Elizabeth Rutledge, chief marketing officer at American Express, said in a news release. “Retail is changing, but local shops are the fabric of our communities, helping them to thrive in the future is part of our brand ethos and backing promise.”

Since 2010, local business supporters have spent $103 billion on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express.

But that’s only part of the story. For every dollar spent at a U.S. small business, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community — and it helps independent shops and restaurants keep their doors open and meet pay their workers, your neighbors.

That amounts to about $67 billion that has stayed in local communities since Small Business Saturday began, according to American Express.

The American Express 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.

Shopping small isn’t just a Thanksgiving weekend retail event, but a year-long movement, according to American Express, which says it is launching a marketing campaign to make consumers more aware of the impact they can have on their communities when they support local businesses.

“We believe in backing small businesses because we know they strengthen the communities where we live and work,” Anna Marrs, president of Global Commercial Services at American Express, said in the news release.