Small Business Saturday in Palmer: An evolving tradition

PALMER— Nearly all the businesses in downtown Palmer are gearing up for Small Business Saturday, a the small business answer to the Black Friday craze. According to Ralph Renzi, executive director of the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce, there’s no better place in the state to walk around, support an eclectic array of local businesses and have fun with so many special plans for this Saturday.

“It really is about the walkability. We have to perfect venue for Small Business Saturday,” Renzi said.

American Express created Small Business Saturday in 2010 and the nationally celebrated shopping holiday has a strong foothold in Palmer. Although the chamber has helped out in the past, this is the first year it has taken the reins, according to Renzi.

Renzi, Palmer UPS Store owner Stacie Stigar and Cobb Street Market owner Andrea Fuller are the three Neighborhood Champions for Palmer this year. Neighborhood Champions are essentially the frontrunners who oversee the Small Business Saturday events and overall participation for their designated areas.

Nearly 50 businesses in Palmer are participating this year, even the Musk Ox Farm up the hill, according to Renzi. He said that a growing number of small businesses without a physical location will also participate on Saturday.

“Small Business Saturday is about everybody,” Renzi said.

Aside from offering special deals and discounts, several business owners will be supporting each other, co-locating and promoting their neighboring companies at their shops, according to Renzi. This model is similar to how the various businesses have collaborated at past events like the annual Who Let the Girls Out community party.

“Palmer lends itself to events like this,” Renzi said. “It’s Palmer’s version of Black Friday only you don’t have to wait in line at a giant mega-store and get trampled by 100’s of people.”

Renzi said that Small Business Saturday will also serve as a kickoff event to usher in a new tradition in downtown Palmer — Shop Palmer. The chamber created Shop Palmer to help small business around town with their holiday sales while giving shoppers incentive to visit as many stores as they can, collecting stickers on their passport for a chance to win a $1,000 Visa gift card.

“This is the time to shop in Palmer,” Renzi said.

Small Business Saturday will be shopper’s first chance to start collecting stickers on their Passport, according to Renzi. He said that each $10 purchase gets a sticker and once someone reaches $100 and fills their Passport, they can enter their name into the drop box at any of the participating locations for the grand prize, to be awarded Dec. 21 on Facebook Live. Each week leading up to the grand prize, the chamber will draw a participating merchant’s name, who in turn will draw a customer’s name for their drobox for a prize from their store (minimum value of $20). Renzi noted that their name will go back in the box and they will still be eligible for the grand prize.

Renzi also noted that this event is not just a day for special prices, but a day filled with various activities. He said that Whimsy Gift Shoppe will have complimentary hot-drinks and a chocolate fountain while the Stamp Cache will be doing live demonstrations.

“I want them [shoppers] to come experience the most unique and personalized shopping experience in the entire state of Alaska,” Renzi said. “We have a hometown feeling. We have a hometown attitude.”

Mary Ann Cockle, owner of Fireside Books, is one of the participating business owners this year. Cockle took the keys from previous owner, David Cheezem earlier this year. She said that that Small Business Saturday participation preceded her and has been a tradition for the store.

During Small Business Saturday, Fireside Books will feature a book signing for local author Toni Truesdell, with her new book, “Tessa Speaks Her Truth.” This will also be the kick off for discounted prices from their annual participation in the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Holiday Catalog, Cockle said. She said that this collaboration between independent book stores is one of the many adaptations that ensured their survival through the, “Amazon Crisis.” She said the last day of for discounted books from the 2018 PNBA Holiday Catalog at Fireside Books will be Dec. 31.

Cockle worked for the store for years before purchasing it. She said that each year, this event seems like a transitional stage for people in the community since it’s right after Thanksgiving and seems to be the time when everyone starts to do their holiday shopping.

“Everybody seems to be so cheerful- as opposed to the grumpy, stressful, last-minute shopping day. There’s no panic, yet,” Cockle said with a laugh. “It kind of seems like the first day you can start playing Christmas music.”

For more information about Small Business Saturday in Palmer, a full list of participating businesses and their special discounts, visit: www.palmerchamber.org/shop-small

To learn more about Shop Palmer, visit: www.palmerchamber.org/shop-palmer