Main Street Calls Small Biz Saturday "A Smashing Success"

As it turns out, there wasn't much "small" about Small Business Saturday in Havre de Grace.

Havre de Grace Main Street President deemed the event "a smashing success" in an email letter to Main Street members Tuesday morning.

No specific data was available on the marketing push, which offered shoppers discounts, deals and perks for shopping in small businesses the day after Black Friday—considered one of the larger corporate shopping days of the year.

"The number of visitors and the volume of the shopping bags they were carrying on Small Business Saturday in Havre de Grace points to a very successful promotion of our businesses during this national event," Smith wrote in the email. "Anecdotal evidence from shop owners on Sunday and Monday summed it up—more business, better [numbers], and a lot of people stopping in [and] mentioning they were shopping small because of Small Business Saturday."

Maryland Main Street's Tim Murphy said "the promotion leading up to Small Business Saturday [exceeded] our expectations."

Aside from traditional marketing through the Maryland Main Street program, Havre de Grace Main Street used social media and creative, targeted marketing—visiting the long lines at larger stores from midnight through noon on Friday, distributing fliers and offering coffee to those standing outside.

"Conversations with these folks revealed they were interested in buying unique items, too, and missed excellent service—the concept of shopping small after the Black Friday madness proved appealing to them," Smith wrote.

As , Havre de Grace Main Street is a finalist for a national award.