Fort Worth-area retailers gear up for Small Business Saturday sales | Fort Worth Report

Superheroes can save the day, but when it comes to business, it may be a bit of a struggle.

At Collected: Your Pop Culture Headquarters, a small business in southwest Fort Worth, owner Ron Killingsworth said his retail store has maintained its steady customers, although sales are down 15% from last year.

Inflation — including rising prices of food and other necessities — has prompted customers to scale back on their discretionary purchases such as comic books and graphic novels.

“You can’t really eat comics, so people have cut back on some items,” he said. “Traffic is still pretty steady, but sales are down quite a bit from last year.”

The 13-year-old business at 2823 Alta Mere Drive is gearing up for Small Business Saturday, set for Nov. 30, with a slew of pre-holiday sales on new and vintage comics, action figures, games and other products intended to prompt customers to buy items as gifts for themselves and others.

“We follow the retail trends of Black Friday sales and Small Business Saturday, so those do help us,” Killingsworth said. 

Comic books are still the No. 1 seller at Killingsworth’s store, which also buys collectible pop culture items. However, the sales decline has prompted him to carefully monitor his stock since the new comics he buys at wholesale are nonreturnable items.

“We’re always buying but you only have so much shelf space, so we have to make smart choices,” he said. “You have to listen to your customers. You have to make sure you’re ordering for your customers and not yourself.”

Killingsworth, 61, said he recently purchased several Golden Age comics — including The Marvel Family No. 36, printed in 1949 — to add to his stock.

Board game sales, which soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, are now down, but other items related to anime have brought in more female customers, as books and TV shows in that popular genre have created demand for mainstream audiences.

Small Business Saturday, which started in 2010 to help local stores and restaurants recover from the Great Recession, has become a Thanksgiving weekend tradition.

The U.S. Small Business Administration, which became a co-sponsor in 2011, said the special retail event has boosted holiday sales — totaling $17 billion in 2023 — for small businesses nationwide.

Jeff Burdett, Texas state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, said small businesses play a vital role in shaping and enriching local communities.

“In addition to creating good-paying jobs and strengthening the local economy, small businesses shape our communities by volunteering their time and financially supporting charitable organizations,” Burdett said in a statement. “A recent NFIB report highlights how small business owners and their employees benefit their communities, beyond operating their business.” 

As the holiday retail season starts, he said, “I encourage all Texans to shop small, especially on Small Business Saturday, and thank a small business owner for how they enrich your community.”

Fort Worth chambers of commerce also encourage residents to shop local on Nov. 30.

“Small Business Saturday is more than just a day of shopping — it’s a celebration of the hard-working entrepreneurs who form the backbone of our local economy,” Anette Landeros, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said. “Small businesses create jobs, spark innovation and foster a sense of community that large retailers often cannot replicate.” 

“In Fort Worth, where our diverse small business community reflects our city’s unique culture and talent, supporting these enterprises means investing in our neighbors, friends and families, said Landeros, who will leave the Hispanic chamber Dec. 13 to become chief strategic officer of the Trinity Metro transit agency. “Small Business Saturday is a reminder to think local and to recognize that every customer plays a vital role in helping our small businesses thrive, not just during the holiday season but year-round.” 

Mia Moss, who recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of opening Black Coffee at 1417 Vaughn Blvd. in east Fort Worth, said Small Business Saturday helps shine a light on local businesses.

“It has been great for Black Coffee because people go out of their way to support us by grabbing coffee before they shop with other local businesses or grab gifts with us for the coffee lover in the family,” Moss said. “This day lets people know that they have options and we love it!”

For Killingsworth, adapting to economic trends is a priority for his pop culture business. That includes advertising and posting videos on social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook.

“You just have to change, although it may not be what you planned,” he said. “You just want to keep going and adapt. For me, it is a fun industry.”

Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org. 

News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

Related