Supporting small business on Black Friday


November 23, 2011 · Updated 12:00 PM 

Bremerton's small shops hope that the movement to 'shop small' rather than at corporate chains will boost the local economy.

Bremerton shop owners hope to rebalance sales this holiday season. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday making up the biggest shopping weekend of the year, many mom and pop stores have been sidelined from shopping action.

Black Friday weekend numbers are significant deciders of business figures at the close of the fiscal year.

"This time of year, retailers are either making it or breaking it with the numbers they pull in over the weekend," said Elaine Jones, business advisor for the Washington State University Small Business Development Center.

This year independent shop owners in Bremerton are joining forces for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26. They hope that people will be more conscious with the way that they spend money, keeping money in the community rather than shipping it overseas.

"If you spend one dollar in a small shop, 44 cents of it stays within the community. Compare that to spending one dollar at a box store where about seven cents stays and the rest goes who knows where. So you're giving your neighbor a job by shopping here," said Amy Jablonski, owner of Amy's Decadent Chocolates in Bremerton.

 

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.