BUYING LOCAL
Area owners open arms to ninth annual Small Business Saturday
TROY, N.Y. >> Small businesses in Troy and Saratoga Springs opened their arms to the holiday season Saturday with the ninth annual Small Business Saturday.
It was a day where shoppers could buy the unique items they sought while doing their part in preserving local vibrant communities.
The two cities continue to see revitalizations in their core business areas thanks to the hard work and dedication of their respective small business owners.
Saturday’s temperatures may have moderated from Thursday’s frigid cold but the day still struggled to get above freezing. The crowds from years past that had once packed the sidewalks of both cities were smaller.
However, those families or groups of friends who were out shopping were as enthusiastic as ever and their holiday spirit was contagious.
At T & J Handcrafted Soap, 271 River Street, Troy, the air was filled with the scents from co- owner Theresa Van Duyne’s handmade soaps, bath balms, and lotions.
The packed room of customers moved from one table of items to the next, each more interesting than the last.
“The Troy community comes out for this day,” Van Duyne said holding
special bars of fragrant soap called, Silent Night and Sugared Spruce. “It grows each year. You can see there’s a bigger push. It gives people an impetus to come out.
“It gives families a chance, an excuse, to go explore their communities, in this instance it’s the downtown business community.”
Dawn Agro and Sarah Thron were two of those explorers. Each was purchasing Sponselle, a body wash and infused buffer. Agro was attracted to the “holiday scents” why Thron wanted the “lavender and honey blossom”.
“We love coming out on Small Business Saturday,” Agro said. “We don’t go out on Thanksgiving to shop and we don’t shop the big box stores on Black Friday. We wait for Small Business Saturday.”
It was equally busy up the street at the Copper Fox, 279 River Street, Troy. This business is a unique boutique, one that offers consignment clothing, vintage clothing and brand new clothing in the same spot. It also carries personal ac- cessories, jewelry, and skin care products.
“Today has been great. It’s been busier than other days,” said Kate Emma from behind the cash register. “We’ve had crowds coming in throughout the day. It seems they want to do some shopping in downtown Troy and get some unique items.
“I really think the small businesses keep downtown Troy interesting for families.”
Shopping in the store were Stacey Hamilton from Albany and Lisa Randles from Saratoga Springs.
“Wemade a special effort to get out and shop somewhere on Small Business Saturday,” Randles said. “We came here because this downtown district is next to the Farmers Market and we wanted to go to both.”
Originally from Cambridge, NY, Randles said she makes it a point to go back there to do some shopping.
“Downtowns have to remain because it’s better for the community. If you lose your downtown, you lose your community,” she said.
Shoppers Tori Roggen and Kevin Todisco were also drawn to Troy for the Farmers Market. After stocking up there they took a stroll to shop the nearby stores.
As they browsed artwork from Weathered Wood, an artists’ collective that exhibits at Twin Pots, 13 Second Street, Troy, Roggen displayed their purchases.
“I try to go to small businesses when I shop,” she said. “They’re so close. Today we picked up some ornaments that have “Troy” written on them. We couldn’t get those anywhere else.”
At the always festive Collar City Sweet Shoppe, 45 Third Street, Troy, owner Ron Ferrigan took time from filling orders for sweets to critique the day’s business as having been great.
“We’ve been here four years and my first year when I heard about Small Business Saturday I didn’t think it’d be anything different,” he said. “But my God, it’s been great. People really turn out for it. Our biggest seller is always the chocolate truffles.
“We have them in a variety of flavors. I’ve refilled those trays a couple of times today.”
In Saratoga Springs the shopping was equally intense despite the absence of packed sidewalks. As usual the display windows at G. Willikers, 461 Broadway offered anyone walking by a special take on the magic that is the holiday season.
“We’ve had a lot of people coming in today and those who aren’t from here all say, what a great downtown we have,” owner Linda Ambrosino said. “People in this community are extremely concerned that their down- town remains.”
As she expanded on small businesses in an age of competition with big box stores and the internet, Ambrosino noted the personal contact one gets from shopping at a small business is hard to beat.
“People need the contact,” she said. “They want to try it on. They want to know how to play a game before they buy it. I have a game expert here.”
Across the street at a packed Celtic Treasures, 456 Broadway, it was much the same.
“We love small Business Saturday,” said owner Paul O’Donnell. “Traditionally we do more business on this day than on Black Friday. It’s a fun holiday, people showing their support for mom-and-pop stores.
“It’s a made-up American holiday we love it.”