Slow Small Business Saturday in Montgomery County, owners look to upcoming local business week

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – Small business Saturday is recognized around the nation as a big day for people to shop local… But local owners said this isn’t necessarily the case.

“Worst day of the year for business shopping,” said Tim Wilson, the co-owner of Primped 365 in Christiansburg. “My rationale is it’s the Saturday after Black Friday, it’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving … I can tell you that I’ve talked to a bunch of other small business owners and they’ll tell you the same thing. Their sales are the worst this day than probably the most any other time of the year.”

He’s not wrong. WDBJ7 spoke with other local business owners who agreed with Wilson’s take. But he isn’t completely opposed to the idea of small business Saturday, just looking forward to what the county has planned next.

For the first time ever, Montgomery County is extending small business Saturday to small business week.

From November 30 to December 7, the Chamber of Commerce is urging people to shop local for gifts this holiday season.

You can even shoot to complete the Chambers’ buy local bingo card to have some extra fun checking out some hometown shops rather than shopping online next week.

“When you’re in a brick and mortar building, we have more expenses than than an online business does. So when we can encourage and get people to actually show up and buy from us instead of ordering it online,” said Wilson. “It just makes it easier for us to to pay the bills and stay in business and and and keep stuff available for folks.”

You can check out the buy local business bingo card here.

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