MANKATO — For Sara Passante, coming down to Old Town for Small Business Saturday is more satisfying than online shopping.
“I know in this day and age you can get everything online, but there’s an experience and a joy that I feel in giving presents that I actually have a connection to in the store,” she said.
Likeminded shoppers make the Saturdays after Thanksgiving among the busiest days of the year for small businesses.
The day goes by fast, according to Jenna Odegard, owner of Hazelkin & Co and Bumbelou. After opening earlier than usual at 9 a.m. her store had a steady stream of customers through 10:30 a.m.
“There’s always this time-warp situation on Small Business Saturday,” she said. “You just go with the flow.”
Hazelkin & Co, Bumbelou and other shops offer promotions for the occasion. Odegard said her stores give out certain gift cards based on how much each customer spends.
The stores are must stops for Passante as she searches for Christmas and birthday gifts for her family. Sticks & Stones and Bonita, also on Riverfront Drive, were in her plans as well.
Small business owners make the stretch a fun atmosphere to shop along, she said.
“Not every town has a strip like this,” she said. “The minute that Christmas feeling kicks in you get to go enjoy local shops.”
For Odegaard, Small Business Saturday is indeed the busiest day during the busiest season for her shops. At Pond Road Market two storefronts down, owner Cheryl Hamond said it’s either Small Business Saturday or the opening weekend for deer hunting in terms of busiest shopping times.
Customers lined up out the door Saturday at Pond Road. In thanks, the business gave out card holder and pot holder sets to the first 20. In a tough business climate, including recently announced closures at local boutiques, loyal customers are extra appreciated.
“We’re very grateful for the customer base we have,” Hamond said.
Claire Bibbee is one of those loyal customers, saying Pond Road Market is a favorite shopping destination along with Wild Sparrow.
“It’s fun that it’s different vendors and you can just go and travel in time seeing an old piece and think about who it belonged to and the history behind it,” she said of Pond Road’s unique selection.
This fall marked a return to Old Town for Patti Ruskey, who opened Coffee Hag in 1992 and ran it until 2005. The local artist moved her intentionally lowercased art salon and supply thrift store, sidetracked, to Old Town over the summer from its previous location on Park Lane.
People supported the shop at Park Lane, she said, but Small Business Saturday was an example of how much foot traffic comes from being in Old Town.
“It’s kind of fun for me because I’m reconnecting with people,” she said.