Shop big at small Winter Park businesses this Saturday

On Small Business Saturday on Park Avenue, customers might find themselves humming along to a holiday tune when they walk down the street, as the smell of freshly baked cookies floats out of storefronts and store owners welcome customers with wine, cider or gourmet treats.

While the stores do offer great shopping deals and discounts, the event just feels quite a bit different from the crazed frenzy of shoppers battling it out for the last video game console on Black Friday. And it really is, especially when shoppers consider the benefits to the community to “shopping big at small businesses,” said Brian Wettstein, owner of The Doggie Door on Park Avenue.

“We’re the heart of the community,” Wettstein said. “More than 50 percent of what comes into any small business in terms of revenue stays in the community in the form of the employees that we have, in terms of where we spend our money, in terms of us giving back to the community.”

Wettstein gives back through the Sebastian Haul Fund, helping greyhounds reach their new families. Oviedo’s Lukas Nursery is donating a portion of its Christmas tree sales on SBS to several local charities.

And research shows that 48 percent of independent business’ revenue is recirculated locally, versus only 13.6 percent of revenue generated by chain retailers, according to information compiled from nine studies by Civic Economics in 2012 and shared by the American Independent Business Alliance.

Small Business Saturday is Nov. 30. For more information about what’s happening on Park Avenue, to see a list of store discounts and specials and to print out a map to plan your shopping day, visit www.experienceparkavenue.com. American Express card users can get a $10 credit for using their credit card at a qualifying small business location on Nov. 30, but need to register first at www.shopsmall.com

Small Business Saturday, which is on the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year, was started in 2010 to encourage shopping at independent retailers, and consumer support has been growing. Last year, $5.5 billion was spent, according to organizer American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business.

It’s a day to show support for the local businesses that are a big part of growing the Winter Park economy and making it a special place to live, organizers and participants of the event said. Those business owners put their lives and lifesavings into their businesses, said Linda Semmler, who started SBS on the Avenue and is brand partner at the Ancient Olive where you can buy her Earth Inspired Living home collection.

“It’s providing that job security for some of these local businesses and their employees,” said Erika Spence, senior director of marketing and communications for the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. “Most of the jobs that have been created since the recession have been with small businesses, they’re just really the backbone of our local economy.”

And the day really does improve business for these retailers. Santa Labellman, who owns LaBella Intimates on Park Avenue and will offer 20 percent off everything in her store, said she’s seen more customers each year she’s participated. Semmler said that her store Earth Inspired Living, which was independent before and is now in the Ancient Olive, saw a 30 percent increase in sales on that day every year since the SBS start in 2010.

Labellman said Winter Park is a great area to be a small business owner in, because the locals really care.

“We’re a small community and we support each other,” she said.

While it is a day to feel good about the money you spend, ultimately it’s about buying special items for yourself or gifts for family and friends that you love and hopefully at a good price. Most of the retailers on Park Avenue will have deals for their shoppers, and they’ll be offering products that can’t be found anywhere else, along with customer service straight from the person most invested in your experience — the shop owner. SBS brings attention to that idea, and the importance of not only shopping locally for the holidays, but year-round.

“If you want a community that gives you a choice of products and services that you’re not going to necessarily find in a big box, then you need to continue to support the idea that small business can provide that,” Semmler said. “It’s just a reminder that when you spend money, you do have a choice, and part of that choice is investing in your community.”