It’s A Big Deal to Shop Small

When you hear the words “Shop Small,” it’s normally during the peak madness of the holiday season. However, did you know you can buy from locally-owned businesses all year long? Yes, you don’t have to wait until Shop Small Saturday to shop or dine with stores owned and operated by people who live in the same community as you.

A Brief History: Shop Small Saturday

As mentioned earlier, Shop Small Saturday occurs the day after Black Friday – and it originated as a way to encourage shoppers to do their holiday shopping at local stores instead of only buying from large businesses. This is largely due to an American Express campaign geared towards encouraging the public to purchase from their local small businesses. The campaign has since grown globally, and the American Express initiative is now a year-long project.

Why We Shop Small

Now, you’re most likely wondering “Why does it matter where I shop?” When you buy local you are ensuring that your sales tax dollars stay local and that those dollars are used for the betterment of your community. Even though we always want residents to shop locally during the holidays, we don’t want you to forget about these businesses during the rest of the year. By actively choosing to buy from local businesses, you are also choosing to support the backbone of America: small business and entrepreneurship! Here are a few other great reasons to shop small:

• Small business owners have the distinct advantage of being able to create more personal relationships with their customers, therefore many of them strive to offer great customer service. The owners of these stores are often very knowledgeable about their products; therefore, they can usually answer the more detailed questions you may have about the products you’re buying.
• Small businesses often purchase from other small businesses, and thus they develop a niche community among themselves. They are also more likely to recommend other small businesses to their customers. So even if they do not sell what you are looking for, they might know where you can purchase from.

Shopping in Liberty County

Here in our community, you can shop small for just about any and everything.  From personal items to business needs, we’ve listed a few examples of amazing businesses to support year-round.

Molly Maxine is a one-stop shop that offers handmade jewelry, clothing, as well as a full array of Merle Norman cosmetics! You can shop with them at 122 South Main Street in Hinesville, and visit their Facebook for a sneak peek at their newest products!

Sugar Foots Sweets & Treats offers a variety of baked goods such as cakes, cookies, cupcakes, dessert bars and more! Although they do not have a physical location, you can find more information on how to shop with them by visiting their Facebook page.

Wrap It Signs specializes in vehicle wraps, business signs, Realtor® signs, banners and much more. You can shop with them at 155 Dunlevie Road Allenhurst or give them a ring at 912.876.9727.

VIP Promotional Products is a promotional product distributor helping businesses with their promotional needs from cups and pens to t-shirts, polos and jackets. You can visit them at 126 E MLK Jr. Drive, Hinesville.

Looking for more businesses to support then check out our membership directory.

We’d love to see how you shop small so be sure to tag us in your photos by using the hashtags #ExploreLiberty and #ShopSmallLibertyCounty.