In Middletown, small business merchants have started Pink Friday to piggyback off the Black Friday frenzy.
“It’s all about shopping small first,” said Lisa Dethlefs, owner of Iron Rose Mercantile boutique, 1050 Central Ave.
About a dozen downtown stores participate, offering doorbuster deals, sales and gifts that carry into Small Business Saturday and the rest of the weekend.
Supporting small business
Teresa Koppen, manager of Luna Gifts and Botanicals in Dayton’s Oregon District, counts herself as both a recipient of and participant in Small Business Saturday.
“It’s a big day, definitely,” said Koppen. Her shop, 262 Wayne Ave., gets “decent traffic” during regular weeks, but sees a lot more shoppers the Saturday after Thanksgiving, shoppers who tell her they’re making conscious efforts to support local merchants.
Koppen said she will do a lot of her holiday gift shopping locally as well, not only to support local, but to find gifts that are unique and exactly what she wants.
“I’m very picky and I hate when you spend online and it doesn’t look like it does in the picture. It’s better to go in person,” she said.
She will visit other Oregon District shops including BRIM, Clash Gallery & Boutique, and Feathers Vintage Clothing.
Many of the small businesses in the Oregon District have partnered to promote their businesses on social media.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Saturday was started in 2010 by American Express to drive shoppers to small businesses following an economic recession. In 2011, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution in support of effort.
It’s grown every year since, and in several communities has expanded to include more than just the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Spotlighting culture
The Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce hosts Small Business Weekend spotlighting the village’s culture that is dominated by small shops, cafes and restaurants.
“Yellow Friday kicks it all off for us,” said DJ Gallvin, co-owner of Urban Handmade, 113 Corry St. “We are a destination town and get a lot of people who want to shop local. We see a lot of people who have come home for the holidays and they come here.”
Shoppers can purchase a yellow tote, take their photo in a participating store all weekend and post it on social media, and be registered to win prizes.
There are roughly 33.2 million small businesses - companies with with fewer than than 500 employees - in the United States, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and make up 99% of all businesses. They account for about 40% of the country’s gross domestic output.
Almost 80% of businesses surveyed by the Chamber for its Small Business Index say the 2025 holiday season is important to their overall profit this year, up from 70% last year, saying tariffs, uncertainty and underwhelming revenue growth are front and center in the minds of small business owners heading into the holidays.
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