MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) – Businesses in Uptown Martinsville are celebrating 12 Days of Small Business Saturday.
More than 20 businesses began participating in the week full of discounts and deals November 15. The Martinsville Chamber of Commerce started the event to promote shopping small ahead of the holidays.
“When you shop small and you shop local, your dollar is staying here in our community and we really encourage that,” said Kimberly Keller-Bonacci, Uptown Entrepreneurial Development Manager. “Our Uptown district has really been thriving over the past two years since COVID. We want those businesses to be here for years to come and the way that they will be there is if we support them.”
They also put together a scavenger hunt with $500 worth of bonus bucks hidden around Uptown for shoppers to find.
“The scavenger hunt draws in people to all the local businesses who may not normally frequent those locations,” explained Jeff Porter, Martin Plaza Furniture Outlet employee. “It’s just a great way to expose those folks to what we have to offer, and we see that working well.”
“People love these boxes. It has been such a big hit. We have done this in the past and we decided we’d bring it back again this year. It’s so funny because we’ll be uptown and we’ll see people looking around for the boxes,” added Keller-Bonacci.
The event not only influences customers to shop small, but also other business owners.
“We’ve got a lot of new people that moved into town that I might not be aware of,” said Ella Wickham, Owner of Ella Mae’s Closet. “Then when I see the list, it’s nice to know who else is Uptown. It helps me out a whole lot. It also helps them know that I’m down here.”
On the 12th day of Small Business Saturday, November 26, is when most businesses will have their biggest sales.
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