Local businesses gear up for Shop Small Saturday

You’ve been to Amazon, and trekked through Target, now skedaddle on Shop Small Saturday.

Many small businesses in the area are planning big sales and Santa this weekend. Love4Art in Palmerton plans to host Santa from 4 to 5 p.m. today and Saturday. Pictures are $5, said shop owner Donna Balliet. She will also have raffles and door prizes, and Caribbean Noodles will be selling food from noon to 6 p.m. The Palmerton Cat Project will also be on hand selling T-shirts, mugs and magnets. They are also accepting monetary donations and cat food.

“I’m all about keeping it local,” Balliet said.

Santa, Mrs. Claus and a Christmas elf will venture down to the Kushy Boutique in Walnutport on Dec. 8. Lynn Minnelli, co-owner of the store, said pictures will cost $10 and are sent to patrons’ emails, so they can make as many copies as they want of them. The proceeds will go to the K9 Kop Project.

“Shop local. It goes back to the community,” Minnelli said.

Marlyn Kissner, executive director of the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corp., said nonprofit groups receive far more support from local businesses than they do from large corporations.

“For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 goes back into the community — and our tax base,” Kissner said.

Steve Bulger, the mid-Atlantic regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, said small businesses donate 250% more than larger businesses. On average, locally owned small businesses donate an average of 6% of their profits to charitable organizations and community events on an annual basis.

“In so many ways, small businesses are the glue that holds our communities together,” he said.

Kushy Boutique not only gives its owners a place to sell their handmade items, but also gives more than 85 vendors and artisans a place to display and sell their products. She said the majority of them live within 25 miles of the store, but a few are from other areas in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, said Minnelli, who owns the store with her husband, Michael.

“There are many local vendors that needed a home,” she said. “We call them our family of vendors.”

The Minnellis rent out space to the vendors, who set their own prices. She said they picked the best of the wares, because they wanted only quality-made products. The products include handmade butcher blocks, wooden side tables, crocheted clothing, soaps, candles, ornaments, jewelry and more. And her husband makes lamps, chandeliers and sconces from crystalware and china.

“They all have their little niche,” she said.

Minnelli said many of her vendors did the craft show circuit, but are older now or disabled. They still love to create, but find it more difficult to do the craft shows.

For Shop Small Saturday and the whole weekend, she has discounts from 10% to 50% off, as well as buy one get one 50% off and buy two get one free deals.

“A little bit of everything,” she said.

The hours during the Christmas season are noon to 5 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Sales are advertised on her Facebook page and items can be purchased through her website at www.kushyboutique.com.

Gift certificates are available at Mary’s Hair Design in Tamaqua and Donna Balliet’s art studio, Love4Art. She said she also has handmade items for sale and do-it-yourself art party kits, but her business is primarily a venue for traditional art classes for all ages, art parties and classes in crocheting and making essential oil products, for example.

“I have various artists coming in, not just paint on wood,” she said. They are open noon to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

For slightly larger small businesses, Black Friday and Shop Small Saturday are big days, too.

“We are going to have a whole pile of stuff on sale,” said Donn Edgar, manager of R.A. Ahner Furniture store in Lehighton. “We make it an event.”

That weekend is the only weekend they are open on Sunday, he said.

“Almost every business has their time of the year,” he said. “For the furniture business, you have the holiday season and tax season.”

Edgar said his store sells name brand furniture like Lane, Sealy and Ashley, as well as used furniture and handmade Amish furniture. Their regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“I think people are seeing the value of shopping local,” he said. They can see the products; try out the products. And good customer service is important. “We have customers who are friends. We’ve seen them for years. You know their families.”