Downtown Perry ready to host Small Business Saturday

Downtown Perry is set to kick off the holiday shopping season with Small Business Saturday, November 24, for the fourth consecutive year. The majority of the shops participating in Small Business Saturday this Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend are located on Carroll Street and other nearby streets in the historic downtown area.

“The event is going to help kick off the Christmas shopping season for downtown,” said Perry Main Street Coordinator Catherine Edgemon. “In the past, a lot of businesses have reported that Small Business Saturday was one of the busiest shopping days they’ve ever had. We are anticipating that we will generate a lot of foot traffic on the holiday weekend.”

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is a partnership between the Perry Main Street Advisory Board and the Perry Downtown Merchants Council. People who are planning on shopping are encouraged to make their first stop at the welcome table at the Perry Chamber of Commerce. There they will receive shopping passports and shopping totes as well.

“The passport is something they take to different businesses where they are shopping and looking, and they get the business to stamp it or initial it,” said Edgemon. “Once they have gotten 10 businesses to stamp it, they can turn the passport in at the Chamber office to be entered in a drawing for the chance to win $300 in downtown dollars.”

American Express established the Small Business Saturday campaign with the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2010 to promote small and local shopping, in response to the huge retail sales on Black Friday and online shopping on Cyber Monday.

Edgemon said she is expecting a substantial turnout on Saturday.

“It will not only draw foot traffic and a lot of holiday shopping to their business, but also heighten these businesses’ visibility within the community, so if someone doesn’t need something from any of the shops on that day, they know where to go to get it in downtown Perry,” said Edgemon.