As shoppers participate in Black Friday and Giving Tuesday, several Fort Wayne-area businesses will be taking part in the city’s 10th annual Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday serves as a shopping holiday on the final Saturday of November following Thanksgiving and Black Friday. It was created by American Express in 2010 to create more demand for products and services of small business owners in communities.
2019 marks ten years since Fort Wayne-area businesses began participating. 21 businesses with Greater Fort Wayne, Inc.’s "Neighborhood Champion" team will lead the official effort, while others may hold their own special events.
A study published last year suggests that every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S. results in approximately 67 cents staying in the community.
“I just think it’s really important to emphasize to our local residents that shopping here -- where you live -- really helps boost our local economy,” said Marla Schneider with Three Rivers Distilling Company, which has taken part in Small Business Saturday the last several years and will again in 2019.
Three Rivers sources many of its ancillary products and ingredients from Bluffton, Roanoke and other parts of Northeast Indiana. That emphasis on local is why Schneider says it’s important to participate.
Not only that, but it has given the relatively new company more attention, as well opportunities to grow over the years.
“We were able to sell bottles, and we were also able to do an off-site pop-up shop in the city exchange shops that year," Schneider said. "So we actually have two shop local events on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which really helped us out and boosted our sales.”
Local businesses participating in the event include:
- Baker Street Steakhouse
- Bravas
- Christopher James Menswear
- Connolly's Do it Best Hardware & Rental
- The Downtown Wellness Spa
- The Find
- Fort Wayne Outfitters & Bike Depot
- Ft. Wayne's Farmers Market
- GTS Repairs
- The Hoppy Gnome & GnomeTown Brewing Co.
- House to Home
- HT2 Cocktail Lounge
- The Olive Twist
- O'Reilly's Irish Bar & Restaurant
- Proximo
- Stephen Shannon Jewelers
- Summit City Bicycles & Fitness
- Three Rivers Distilling Co.
- Three Rivers Running Company
- The Tube Car Wash
- Wayne PC Tech
