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FARMVILLE – “Shopping small has so many benefits,” said Nancy Alexander, executive director of the Farmville Downtown Partnership. “Not only can you find unique items when you shop small, but you keep your dollars in the community. You support your neighbors, you connect locally and on top of that, it is just fun to get out and enjoy downtown Farmville.”

The day after Black Friday has now become known as Small Business Saturday, which will take place this year on Nov. 26. This holiday was started in 2009 by American Express to encourage holiday shoppers to think differently when shopping for gifts.

Those looking to shop small this year can do so in downtown Farmville. Stores will be open until the afternoon and if you come later, the town Christmas tree, Sadie the Spruce, will also be lit in Main Street Plaza. Expect some Christmas music and unique decorations, with many of the businesses competing to see who can come up with the best “Christmas window”. And for anyone who just isn’t interested in shopping, the Longwood Center for Visual Arts will have an exhibit on folk art and several other projects on display, including one of New York Times illustrator Corinna Lyken’s artwork.

And the biggest thing is that any money spent in the area goes to help local residents, rather than big companies.

“It’s important to support local families,” said Diane Buczek, manager at local furniture store Amish Originals. “Shopping at these local businesses helps keep the town open and running.”

Building local businesses

Even though big chains and fast shipping can be tempting, there are many local businesses that need support as many are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the U.S. Small Business Association, they have seen a record number of Americans apply to start nearly 8.5 million new businesses.

In 2021, Small Business Saturday reached an all-time high of $23.3 billion in reported spending. The association, along with millions of small businesses across the country, hopes to see that number grow again this year and see the support continue the whole holiday season and throughout the whole year.

“As our economy continues to stabilize, it’s more important than ever that consumers shop and dine small during the holiday shopping season,” said Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration. “We continue to see positive impacts and opportunities for our small business owners through President Biden’s economic agenda, and Small Business Saturday is another chance for us to further strengthen America’s entrepreneurs with our local and online spending and promotion.”