For small business owners in Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, local small business shoppers have grown the city’s retail base by 46 percent over the course of the last eight years.
Since its launch in 2010 by American Express, Small Business Saturday encourages shoppers to support small businesses across the country and shop small during the winter holiday season.
NFIB’s North Carolina State Director Gregg Thompson encouraged shoppers to support their community by supporting small business. “67 percent of every dollar spent at a small independent business like Burke Brothers stay in the community,” said Thompson.
Spectrum News reports that 94 percent of stores in the downtown area are locally owned, with many shops easily accessible and in walking distance of each other.
Stacey Simone of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance says the goal of the weekend is to “showcase [Raleigh’s] downtown retail” and encourage others to shop for “unique and local items.”
