Insight Astronomy prepares for Small Business Saturday

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) -Every year the Saturday after Thanksgiving serves as Small Business Saturday. The nation-wide initiative aims to promote the importance of investing in local economies by encouraging holiday shoppers to support one of thirty-four million independent businesses found throughout the nation. Locally there is an endless number of local businesses that range from antique stores to home made furniture. In Bridgeport, Insight Astronomy has been serving the local community for nearly half a decade and has aimed to meet all of the local communities astronomical needs. Like any good business growth is apart of the process, and this business along with owner, Jeremy Bumgardner, has grown to much more than just a shop where you can get a telescope.

” We started out as just a Scientific Astronomy Store, but Covid hit and so we had to branch out to get other inventory in stock, we ran out of telescopes. So, we’ve got science experiments, we’ve got Lego’s, telescopes, microscopes; and we expanded into Pokémon now too. So, all kinds of Pokémon cards as well.”

Astronomy is a unique field in itself, but having the resources to take this passion to another level takes just looking up at the stars at night beyond this world.

” I’ve been interested in Astronomy since I was a little kid, got a telescope when I was nine, and actually studied Astrophysics in college. So, it’s been a lifelong passion of mine, and there’s really nothing like this around here. The closest telescope shop besides us is about three hundred miles away in New York, so I wanted to have that here in the community and the locals to be able to come and talk with somebody that knows about Astronomy. I know people have probably always gone out and just looked up at the sky, but there’s more to it than just that. Being able to connect to it and see the planets out there, the rings of Saturn, it makes you feel more connected than just looking up at the stars.”

The importance of Small Business Saturday, not only extends to local small business owners like Jeremy, but also yourself. Knowing what you’re investing in ends up right back in your own community.

” Small Business Saturday is great, in the city of Bridgeport it’s really cool. There’s a great community here not just for the business, just in general. Whether it’s sports, athletics, the school, or small businesses; the community really supports everyone here. It’s difficult because you compete with the online retailers, but I think people are yearning for that personal connection again. So, it’s really nice to be able to be here and offer that one-on-one service to people and see them come out and shop, and get the stuff that we have to offer.”

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