Small Business Owners See Value in New Promotion

A few St. Charles business owners say they see the value in a national effort to encourage consumers to shop locally.

On Saturday, Nov. 27, the first-ever Small Business Saturday promotion urged shoppers to patronize independently owned, small retailers.

While a couple business owners didn't report a noticeable jump in sales that day,  they said they see the importance of a movement to encourage local shopping.

"I think it's a really good idea," said Ginger Lewis, owner of Ginger's Gift Gallery, 1980 W. Main St., a store that sells handmade gifts. "They need to put the thought into their heads to shop local."

More than a dozen public and private organizations, including the small business unit of American Express, promoted it nationwide. According to the event's Facebook page, the day was designed to "support the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country."

While the event doesn't advocate favoring small businesses over larger ones, or those exclusively online, Lewis said she worries about competition from the "big box" companies.

"There's no way the small stores can compete with the "big box" stores," she said.

Lewis' store, which had been in business for three years, carries small gifts made by artists that she personally meets with to evaluate their products. Everything in her store is handmade.

One of the myths of buying from larger retailers, according to Mark Janczak, owner of Critters Pet Shop, 1437 W. Main St., is that you'll always find a lower price at the bigger stores. While he might not carry as large a selection, the items he does carry almost always are priced competitively, or for less, than the chain stores. This often is the case with other independent stores, he said.

"I think if you look overall, consumers might be surprised," Janczak said. Critters has been family owned since 1988.