Small Business Saturday encourages local shopping
Powell: 'Small businesses are the backbone of our community'
While the coronavirus pandemic continues to batter Humboldt County worse than most of California, this weekend’s Small Business Saturday provides a lucrative opportunity for local businesses.
After Black Friday, where a tidal wave of customers annually floods Eureka’s Bayshore mall, Small Business Saturday is meant to prompt shopping locally and circulating money within Humboldt County.
“The convenience of shopping at a larger corporation sways a lot of people but the reality is you can find a far superior gift for your loved ones and family members that’s going to last longer and is more creative and unique. You’re supporting a community member, their family and the gifts that they’re going to be able to get their children. So it’s a fullcircle effect,” said Alanna Powell, the executive director of Humboldt Made.
After revenues from most businesses plummeted from the coronavirus pandemic, many of Humboldt County’s local stores got creative by offering new e-commerce options and, for some businesses, unprecedented digital marketing, according to Powell.
There are makers markets across Humboldt County where customers can do their holiday shopping and keep their dollars in the local economy, such as at the Solstice Holiday Market, a pop-up at The Stuudiio 422 First Street in Eureka.
“I remember, early on into the pandemic looking at the line at Chipotle, versus the line at Amigas Burritos and it was night and day. There were cars wrapped around the block for Chipotle because they had this convenience factor of being able to order online and just pick it up where it was, and so we’re just kind of applying that for our local businesses,” Raelina Krikston, the owner of The Stuudiio.
The Solstice Holiday Market provides a cornucopia of products made by local artisans, but Krikston said she was particularly excited about a jewelry line composed of chainmail-esque metal links called “Moss Follows” created by artist Aisling Svennungsen.
The market is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays through Friday, with Wednesday’s featuring a 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. safe shopper hour, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Customers may purchase the pop-up’s products online as well. The pop-up will be open through Dec. 24.
Shopping locally allows local business owners and stores to play a more active role in the community, such as through sponsorships of local children’s sporting events, according to Amanda Kruschke, the assistant director at Eureka Main Street.
“They employ our friends and neighbors and family members and they keep our economy vibrant,” Kruschke said.
This weekend at the Scotia Lodge, there will
be a maker’s market from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Shopping locally during a supply chain disruption, such as the one currently embroiling the United States, allows customers to avoid the disappointment of a late package, according to Renee Lindsay, president of the Fortuna Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, in-person shopping allows for better recommendations for unfamiliar items and easier returns if the customer is disappointed, rather than packing it back up to ship back to an online store.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our community, and we are blessed to have so many compared to other locations throughout the state and supporting them ensures that they’ll continue to thrive,” Powell said.