Small businesses in Asheville encourages people to shop local this weekend

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) – Before you whip out your wallet for Black Friday, consider supporting small businesses affected by Helene, including stores in Asheville, where shops are welcoming customers inside for a special weekend.

“It’s been a hard couple of months, it’s been scary, Lindsay Woodruff, owner of Duncan and York, said.

Woodruff was forced to close her doors for nearly a month after Helene hit Western North Carolina.

“It was scary, it was not the Asheville I was used to,” she added.

Besides dealing with the devastation Helene brought to Asheville, stores like Duncan and York lost a significant amount of revenue.

“So it’s important we support them this holiday season and throughout the winter, so we can ensure these businesses will be here in the springtime and summer next year,” Hayden Plemmons, executive director of the Asheville Downtown Association, said.

Plemmons said stores are ready to get tourism back on track, which means opening doors for the city’s Small Business Weekend.

“We’re super excited to launch a program in partnership with Bank of America-Shop Small, Win Big,” Plemmons said.

If you’re a North Carolina resident and you shop at a participating Asheville store, you can upload to your receipt to a portal for the chance to win $500 for yourself and the business you purchased from. To find the QR code, click here.

When you buy small, you’re not only supporting small businesses impacted by Helene.

“We also focus a lot on Asheville makers, so we focus a lot on products that are made here in Asheville,” Woodruff said.

Duncan and York is a quaint, eclectic giftshop offering everything from souvenirs, to clothing and jewelry.

“This is SoulKu, it’s an Asheville-based company. They hire stay-at-home moms to make the jewelry,” Woodruff explained while showing a jewelry display. One particular necklace from SoulKu honors those affected by Helene.

And for the Swiftie fans in your life, “we’re the store for you,” she added. The store has an entire wall dedicated to Taylor Swift gifts.

“There is nothing in Downtown Asheville you can’t find,” Plemmons said.

“Asheville is very unique in the way that we have so many small businesses, and you just get something very different from a big boxed store or shopping online. You’re getting a curated collection of products,” Woodruff agreed.

The Downtown Association is also partnering with the Grove Arcade for a Tree Lighting Block Party this Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m.

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