PANAMA CITY — It’s like Black Friday on a Saturday — minus long lines.
And although many customers were unaware of the special shopping day called Small Business Saturday, small-business owners were touting increased sales Saturday.
“It’s been successful because it’s our way of showing customers we appreciate them keeping us in business,” said Karen Randall, owner of Lee’s Consignment Boutique, 103 W. 23rd St. Suite E-1.
The boutique was one of several local businesses that discounted prices in honor of Small Business Saturday. The shopping holiday, instituted by American Express in 2010, was started to boost business for local small retailers on a single shopping day — similar to Black Friday for big box retailers.
Loyal consignment shopper Lanie Wixon perused racks at Randall’s shop Saturday. Her slim fitting boot length jeans fit perfectly on her petite frame. She said she finds clothes that fit her body type at consignment shops.
Wixon had heard about Small Business Saturday, but, she said, she regularly shops at the consignment store and has known Randall for “so many years.”
“The mall is too busy, too many people there,” Wixon said. “I always come over here because they have a good selection — and their prices aren’t bad.”
Prices were discounted 20 to 40 percent Saturday, and small spurts of customers trickled in throughout the day. Randall said Small Business Saturday had been successful and her 2,150 consigners “trust me to do whatever I need to do to find someone to purchase their items.”
In downtown Panama City, furniture and home décor store Avenue Sea saw a boost in customers, most just curious about what’s inside the shop, said store owner Christine Stringer.
“It’s gotten a full start,” Stringer said. “We’re just encouraged that they are doing Small Business Day and supporting small-business owners.”
“Bell-ringers” — items marked down for minutes at a time, in-store gift-card giveaways and 40-percent off art pieces were Avenue Sea’s way of honoring the shopping day.
Small-business owner for 30 years Jeanette Deatherage bought an ornament from Avenue Sea. She said she did not go to any Black Friday sales events and plans to do all of her Christmas shopping at small businesses.
“I really believe in supporting small business because that’s the heart of America,” Deatherage said.
The Bay County Chamber of Commerce endorsed the shopping day and gave chamber member “passbooks,” which featured about 40 small businesses in the area. Participating shoppers could qualify to win prizes by visiting stores.
Deatherage said she’d visit at least 10 businesses Saturday.
In downtown St. Andrews, customers walked the streets as usual — visiting St. Andrews Waterfront Farmers Market, stopping for a drink at Chez Amavida and wandering into small shops, which were all void of the Chamber’s Small Business Saturday advertisements.
At the Crystal Pistol, and other area shops, flyers were posted in windows about St. Andrews Sunday, to be held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown St. Andrews. The “small town shopping” day will feature “lively entertainment” and “specials at every business,” the flyer states.
Angela Bradley, owner of the Crystal Pistol, discounted prices Saturday, but was looking forward to Sunday’s event.
“It has generated quite a bit of attention,” Bradley said.
Her shop, which opened in June, has unique items from jewelry and wooden signs to handmade boots.
“I try to keep prices reasonable,” she said. “If you see it once, you may not see it again, so you better get it.”