Local small businesses appreciate your loyalty
AFTER WHAT THEY’VE been through, local small businesses aren’t leaving anything to chance this holiday season. People obviously weren’t going out much during the early part of the pandemic, and they weren’t buying as much clothing and other items. Now that things have loosened up, it appears there’s no holding back on the promotions.
Bakersfield being, by and large, a place of loyalty, generosity and pride of place, independent local retailers tend to gush about the support they get from customers. But just in case anyone’s tempted to buy online from retailers outside the area, local independents are bringing a surprising level of creativity to this holiday season.
Jezabelle’s Boutique at Brimhall Square plans to keep track of its customers’ purchase totals throughout
December. Ten percent of each shopper’s total will count as a discount on January purchases.
Plus, the month’s four top spenders will get a Hammitt Los Angeles purse worth $180, with the winner to be announced the first week of January.
Owner Christine Hennings said Bakersfield residents have shown themselves to be supportive of their community. Her hope is that this spirit carries over to small-business retailers, restaurants included, that suffered badly during the pandemic, especially those with a storefront and rent to pay.
“I think some people have gotten into the bad habit of clicking on the (e-commerce) button, and it’s a hard habit to break,” Hennings said. She added that support for local businesses makes the city more attractive when residents want to show off the city to guests from out of town.
Victoria’s at The Marketplace started getting creative with sales a while ago. It focused on building its website
during the pandemic, and now it does Facebook Live broadcasts at 1 p.m. every Thursday showcasing new arrivals for customers who can’t drop in daily. It’s gotten to the point the store ships out of state regularly, while also offering curbside pickups.
The boutique does surprise promotions customers can keep up with on its Facebook page or by text messaging. Gift wrapping is free, and the store has a special tote-bag offer between Thanksgiving and Christmas, not to mention a 20 percent discount on all clothing on Black Friday and a day later on Small Business Saturday.
Manager Samantha Newkirk calls the weeks before Christmas a “make or break every year.” She said how thankful the store is for customers loyal to local businesses.
Victoria’s tries to reciprocate with quality service.
“What we offer is customer service — that personal shopping service so that every person on their list gets taken care of,” Newkirk said.
Umaga Cafe, a small business at Stockdale Fashion Plaza, did something new last holiday season that it plans on doing again this year, because it worked.
The cafe started selling gift boxes with coffee and other items. The reception was such that Umaga Cafe started selling them online as well as in person.
“A lot of times we’d hear (from customers) they were happy to have different options,” co-owner Jeremy Cruz said.
Chef’s Choice Noodle Bar at The Marketplace planned to kick off a gift card promotion Black Friday: Customers spending at least $50 on a card get an extra 10 percent value. Anything over $100 gets 15 percent more value, and the total can be divided among different cards.
The restaurant is also offering a $5 discount on take-home entrees to customers who buy a lunch or dinner entree for dining at the restaurant Sunday through Thursday. The deal is applicable to as many take-home entrees as the customer chooses.
Owner Dr. Nick Hansa is also planning a New Year’s Eve party with a midnight Champagne toast and other events still being finalized.
Chain restaurants offer local economic benefits as well, he said, but independents like his offer an extra benefit, in that they don’t send franchise fees to a company outside the area.
“If you buy local, that extra 20 percent is a huge amount,” he said.
I think some people have gotten into the bad habit of clicking on the (e-commerce) button, and it’s a hard habit to break.” — Christine Hennings, owner of Jezabelle’s Boutique at Brimhall Square