Palmer businesses adapt for Small Business Saturday

PALMER — In Palmer, local businesses are preparing for shoppers on Small Business Saturday. With the cancelation of indoor Colony Christmas festivities by the Palmer Chamber of Commerce, many businesses are offering their Small Business Saturday sales through the second week of December.

“Palmer is made up of small businesses and that’s what everyone loves about it,” said Palmer Chamber Executive Director Ailis Vann. “More important than ever, if people love Palmer and want it to stay the way it is in the sense of like keeping main street lined with retail shops and everything, I think that they need to get out and support those businesses this year and that’s been our message all year as the Chamber. We’ve been trying to encourage people to get out and look for things locally before they just shop for them on Amazon.”

There are 28 businesses in downtown Palmer that accept Bingles, a form of currency revitalized by the Palmer Chamber as gift vouchers accepted at these 28 businesses. After shopping, visitors to Palmer and residents alike can enjoy the fireworks display put on by local small businesses owner Stan Guthrie at 7:19 p.m. The fireworks show will be set off from the Palmer Public Library parking lot.

“He still is a crucial part of the Palmer landscape. I know that everyone appreciates those fireworks so much,” said Vann. “I do think that having the two together does help bring significance and attention to both events, not just the fireworks but hey it’s also Small Business Saturday so come to Palmer a couple hours early and hit the shops before they close.”

Some stores in Palmer have required employees and customers to wear face masks, but Vann says that all local small businesses have had to adapt how they interact with shoppers amidst a global pandemic. Some local businesses in Palmer offer appointment shopping, others have developed a store online and Vann said that others are getting creative by offering sales on Facebook. Vann said that nearly every local business will provide curbside delivery if requested and recalled visiting a local store owner who took a phone call and described items to a shopper over the phone.

“Businesses adapted really well. It’s been pretty impressive all year where they were kind of forced to make some changes but so many of them did it really quickly and just pivoted and got creative,” said Vann.

The fireworks will start on Saturday at 7:19 p.m. and horse drawn carriage rides sponsored by Usibelli Coal Mine will be provided free of charge at the Palmer pavilion parking lot on November 28 and December 5 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.