LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Since 2010, Small Business Saturday is held annually to encourage people to shop locally.
It's a left turn from the day before: Black Friday, when a rush of shoppers normally flock to big-time retailers for the best post-Thanksgiving deals.
But once that mad dash starts settling down, the focus shifts to local shops, especially right here in Northeast Ohio.
"We love Small Business Saturday because we really love how people come out and support all of these small businesses and makers in our space," Maureen Koopman said.
Koopman owns holiday pop-up store Home for the Holidays on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. It's the perfect place to pick up handmade goods from local crafters and makers, plus small-batch foodies.
"So, Cleveland area and beyond. And we have a little bit of everything. So, anything from items for kids and babies to our fur babies," Koopman said. "All of the things that you can think of that you might wanna gift someone for the holiday season."
Home for the Holidays is teaming up with more than 10 other nearby stores for Small Business Saturday.
"We are celebrating that with an amazing raffle basket that has almost a thousand dollars worth of items from our makers in it," Koopman said.
All you need is a passport, then you're eligible for the prize. Another participating store is CouCou Sentiment, just down the street from Home from the Holidays.
"We're a one-stop shop for cards, gifts, and party supplies. Essentially, it's a wide assortment of goods. There's a lot of snarky, sassy, but some traditional items in there as well," said owner Danielle Zann.
Zann says the key to shopping local is the uniqueness of the gift.
"I just think that it offers you something that you don't see yet, like your CVS or your target, and it can really speak to your personality," Zann said. "There are a lot of, you know, crafters in the area that really make some quality goods... really fun stuff. And, I just think that they need an outlet. I've always been a crafter myself, so I always wanted a place that I could also have my goods represented."
Home for the Holidays is located at 14526 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107. For more information, click here.
CouCou Sentiment is located at 17409 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio 44107 For more information, click here.
Cleveland Shops is also partaking in the Small Business Saturday tradition, offering gift cards to use at any of the 27 participating businesses. For more information on Cleveland Shops, click here.
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