Small businesses try to draw shoppers for Saturday

John Amato is the owner of Jupmode, a locally owned apparel store located at 2022 Adams St. Small owned businesses within the greater Toledo region are gearing up for Small Businesses Saturday, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT
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John Amato is the owner of Jupmode, a locally owned apparel store located at 2022 Adams St. Small owned businesses within the greater Toledo region are gearing up for Small Businesses Saturday, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The holiday shopping season kicked off Thursday and Friday as crowds rushed to stores to buy discounted Black Friday items.

But for those exhausted by frantic lines at big-box stores or unsettled by online shopping’s possible credit card hacks, local business owners have an alternative option: shop on Small Business Saturday. The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce is localizing this campaign and urging consumers to spend some of their money at small businesses in their community.

“This is a day to spend money within our neighborhoods and with small family-owned businesses instead of big-box retailers,” said Bill Wersell, director of the chamber’s Small Business Development Center.

John Amato, the owner of Jupmode, said he feels the support of the community on Small Business Saturday.

“It’s always a big day for us,” he said.

Jupmode is among a growing list of locally owned shops in downtown Toledo. Located at 2022 Adams St., Jupmode is a small, independent apparel store that sells clothing that promotes Toledo.

“You will do better in Toledo,” “We’re Strong for Toledo,” and “Take Me To Toledo” are just a few of the slogans on some the store’s apparel.

Nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the competition for consumers’ dollars has stiffened with the emergence of Small Business Saturday, a relatively new event that falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Since its founding by American Express in 2010, this shopping holiday has grown in popularity and is recognized by Congress as a day to celebrate locally-owned small businesses. This year in Lucas County, Toledo and Maumee officials passed resolutions acknowledging the effort.

“We care about this town,” Mr. Amato said, referring to locally owned businesses. “We’re invested in the well being, rebirth, and growth of Toledo,”

An estimated 71 million people across the country to shop on Saturday, with 76 percent of them doing so to specifically support Small Business Saturday, according to the National Retail Federation.

In the greater Toledo area, family owned, local businesses are the backbone of the regions’ economy, Mr. Wersell said.

“A lot of attention is on major retailers on Black Friday so we want to shift attention to the small and family owned businesses on Saturday,” he said.

“If you look at small businesses with 100 or less employees they are the major employer of our community,” he said. “It’s important for people to recognize that these small businesses are working in our community to strengthen our community.”

Contact Javonte Anderson at janderson@theblade.com, 419-724-6065, or on Twitter @JavonteA.