Thanksgiving Thursday, Black Friday, Small-Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Thanksgiving has been a springboard in recent years for shopping with some businesses opening as early as 11 AM on Thanksgiving. With this commercialization of what was meant to be a time for reflection, we can still be thankful and give back to businesses in our community. Small Business Saturday focuses on stepping back from the big-box stores and looking at the awesome and unique stores in your local community. Anyone can go on Amazon and search for “gift of the year”, but when you go out in your community and find something one-of-a-kind, it just seems more special.
Support Local Business
This year, the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance is partnered with American Express for Shop Small and will be located at Benchwarmers Coffee & Donuts in West Reading. This event is going to take start at 9 am on Saturday, November 25th. The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance will be at Benchwarmers handing out Small Business Saturday “passports” and other materials to be used on Saturday till 12 pm. Each person who visits 8 participating locations on Small Business Saturday is eligible to enter their “passport” in a raffle for a $500 American Express gift card.
Last Year
Looking back, on Small Business Saturday in 2016, 112 million shoppers visited and supported small and local businesses. They spent over $15.4 billion in their communities. This number is expected to grow this year and you can be part of the movement to shop small. Small businesses are the backbone of many communities, so take some time on Saturday, November 25th to celebrate the businesses in your community.
Important Information
Location: Benchwarmers 400 Penn Avenue, West Reading
Time: 9 AM – 12 PM
(Small Business Saturday goes all day)