Sacramento's Little Shops Need You This Holiday Season

Small shops in Sacramento are facing tough times. Online shopping and rising prices are making it hard for them to stay open. But there's a special day called Small Business Saturday. It's the day after Black Friday. This is when people can help by shopping at local stores instead of big online ones. Many people in Sacramento understand how important small businesses are. They know that if these shops close, the community loses more than just a place to buy things. Alex Gilmore, a local resident, put it this way: "If they don't stay in business, what are our communities? If we don't have small businesses? " California has about 4. 3 million small businesses. They play a big role in the state's economy. But with more people shopping online, many of these businesses are struggling. Susan Stewart, who owns a store called Strapping Store, sees this every day. "This is affecting the shops here in Sacramento, " she said. "Every day I'm hearing of new businesses closing down, whether it's a restaurant or store. " Stewart's store had to close two of its locations earlier this year because sales were low. But on Small Business Saturday, her last remaining store was busy. People came out to support it. Stewart said, "They're like, 'Oh wow, if we want to save this business, we have to come out and support them this holiday. ' It's about 40% of our business within a 4-6 week stretch of sales, it's kind of a do-or-die moment for us. " When you shop at a small business, most of your money stays in the local area. Stewart says about 63 cents of every dollar spent at her store goes back into the Sacramento economy. She also believes small businesses are what give a city its unique character. "We will have tax money coming from Target and from the big guys, Amazon. But it doesn't say Sacramento. Everyone would be so cookie-cutter without small business, " she said. Katie Wootan, who owns a shop called That's Friendly, agrees. She thinks shopping at small businesses is more fun than shopping online. "It's also just such a fun experience, " she said. "I feel like back in the day, we used to always go out, we were always at the local businesses and the mall shopping. Everyone's just online now; they don't need any more of our money. Small businesses, it's really important. " On Small Business Saturday, Strapping Store turned shopping into an event. They had local makers, hot chocolate, and a free gift wrapping station. Stewart said, "We're all dreamers. Small business owners are dreamers and to have people show up and say 'Hey, we got your back, ' it means the world to me. It's everything. " If you want to support small businesses in Sacramento, you still have time. Old Sacramento Waterfront is hosting a small business spree through the end of the year.