Carlsbad downtown merchants and an organization dedicated to continued economic development in the heart of the community prepared for a busy Christmas holiday shopping season with Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday was created in 2010 by the American Express credit card company to encourage people to shop locally owned small businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving, according to the American Expresses website.
Tuesday at Perfect Designs on West Fox Street co-owners Jason and Tiffany Shirley spent the morning preparing custom made items unique to Carlsbad that may not be found at a national chain outlet.
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“Anytime you can encourage people to shop local, a lot of times people are surprised that you can get the same or a lot better quality items right here in Carlsbad than you could get going out elsewhere. It puts money back in your hometown local businesses,” she said.
“Every dollar that comes in here supports the families the business supports so it’s crucial for the small business to have the support of their hometown,” Tiffany Shirley added.
She said Christmas holiday shopping helps Perfect Designs end the business year on a positive note.
“Traditionally so much of our retail (business) has been focused on football season and so we have tried to expand the things that will really help us increase retail sales and walk in traffic throughout the year,” Tiffany said.
She added Perfect Designs expanded with engraving, custom cups and Christmas ornaments.
Christmas shoppers seeking a unique or different kind of gift might want to shop at the Pecos River Antique Mall on South Canyon Street, said owner Gwen Gonzales.
She planned markdowns in the store for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.
Pecos River Antique Mall has been in Carlsbad for 20 years and Gonzales owned the store for 11 years. She said sales traditionally pick up after Halloween and progress through Christmas.
“It was very busy last year,” Gonzales said of Small Business Saturday. “We’re hoping it will be even better (in 2022).”
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“I have one-of-a-kind items you don’t see in mass production. They’re not mass produced here,” she said.
The Carlsbad Main Street organization offered a promotion to entice people to shop downtown through Christmas, said Kat Davis, executive director.
“If you purchase in a downtown business and submit your receipt for over $25, you’ll be entered in a raffle for Visa gift cards,” she said.
Davis said the gift card amounts varied, “that’s the reason we decided to do a nearly month-long promotion rather than just one day.”
“We need to support our local businesses year-round but especially towards the holidays. We know people travel for Thanksgiving and we didn’t want them to miss out,” she added.
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Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.