Kristen Tait expects to see many familiar faces coming through the doors of her business Saturday morning. Tait, who owns Decade Gifts on Denver’s South Broadway retail strip, said that while her store was hopping on Black Friday, many of her loyal customers tend to wait until to come in and shop.
“It’s a great experience for us and a great start to the holiday season,” she said.
Small Business Saturday, started by American Express in 2010 as a response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, offers cardholders $10 back on every $10 spent, up to $30.
But the day has taken on a life of its own, becoming less about cash-back perks and more about rallying communities behind business owners, such as Tait, who rely on community dollars to sustain their business.
“The concept is simple: Instead of one-stop shopping at the nearest big-box store or giant mall, or sitting at home and ordering online, you shop at small, locally owned businesses for things you simply can’t find anywhere else,” said Tony Gagliardi, director of the Colorado chapter of the . “Instead of dealing with temporary workers who don’t know the merchandise, there’s a good chance you’ll be dealing directly with the owner, who cares very much about making you happy, so you come back time and time again.”
Decade Gifts has been in the same location for 17 years, and many customers and several employees have been with the store for the long haul, Tait said.
“Small Business Saturday is one of our busiest days,” she said. “(Customers) are here to support me and our business than they are to get the extra $10 on their AmEx statement.”
There are about 556,590 small businesses in Colorado. About 121,680 of those account for about half of Colorado’s private workforce, according to the 2014 U.S. Small Business Administration Small Business Profile.
Of the Colorado businesses that have employees, about 20 percent staff 19 people or fewer.
Spending dollars at small businesses not only benefits the merchant’s coffers, it also helps keep the local economy humming, Gagliardi said.
“When you shop locally, 70 percent of that dollar stays in the local community,” he said. “As long as that business’s revenues are sustainable and substantial enough to support their infrastructure in the local community, it keeps the cost of business low.”
Only about 30 percent of each dollar spent at a big-box store stays local, Gagliardi said.
Although Decade Gifts doesn’t offer any special deals for the Small Business Saturday, Tait says customers still reap the benefits.
“The early bird gets the worm,” she said. “They get the best selection.”
Laura Keeney: 303-954-1337, lkeeney@denverpost.com or twitter.com/LauraKeeney
