Shop Small on Black Friday

Thanksgiving is a big holiday in our family. I grew up in Kirkwood MO and my high school plays its homecoming game against Webster Groves every Thanksgiving Day. It’s the oldest high school rivalry west of the Mississippi. I took my husband and daughter home for the game one year and they were shocked. We even have a school honk. So, Thanksgiving is a big deal for me.

But we never shopped on Black Friday thus I don’t have that tradition though I know many families do. Unfortunately, I don’t think Black Friday will be the same this year. Going to the mall will involve stores that are limiting how many people can enter meaning long lines. Plus, traditional Black Friday sales started at the beginning on November, most likely to help revenue numbers. Just when I thought the political emails would stop and I could clean out my in box, now I’m being inundated with sale emails (along with money for the Georgia candidates).

Retailers need people to shop this year. I spoke to a friend of mine, a well-known analyst who did predictions on Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. She thinks that the big companies such as Amazon and Walmart will capture the bulk of the sales this year. I would add Target to that list.

For me, I will try to shop small local stores or shops on Etsy or other smaller retailers. Last year I bought all of my friends’ custom candles from a retailer on Etsy and got rave reviews. I primarily will be shopping online because I am high risk and don’t want to go to the mall. My goal it to not shop on Amazon or any big retailers if I can avoid it.

Through my local Next Door, I have read about women who are trying to make money by making gifts. I currently have all my masks made by a local woman I found on Next Door.

I am not worried about the big companies going out of business but I am genuinely concerned about small retailers making it until COVID-19 goes away. So, think about helping small retailers this year. Typically buying local is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I expect small stores that aren’t at malls can be shopped on the weekends.

This holiday think how you can support small business. That will make you a big person.