NEDERLAND, Texas — Small business Saturday is an annual event encouraging people to shop local. Unfortunately, amid the coronavirus pandemic, a quarter of small businesses across the U.S. have closed.
Small business owners in Southeast Texas are asking the community to continue to support them since shopping local is even more important this year. Small Business Saturday can be a big boost to them financially.
"I think it's important to shop local," Mollie's Boutique owner Elizabeth Mcalin said. "Mollie's was affected financially, just having to close down for the month and a half that we were."
It's no secret that 2020 has been a hard year for many. But small businesses are depending on customers to bring in revenue.
"Their local money spent here then goes to the employees and to family members," Mcalin said.
Small business Saturday is not just about spending at one local store, but shopping throughout the community, she said.
Owner Julie Blanco at Blanc on Boston clothing store on Boston Avenue in Nederland said they are making up for lost time after not being able to be open for Small Business Saturday last year.
"We had the explosion last year," she said. "So it's really important to us this year. We've been counting on it all along."
This year, she said she is able to count on an outpouring of support from their customers.
"It's unbelievable," she said. "Today has been even busier than yesterday, lots of support from the community."
A customer in the store said shopping local is about the experience.
"To come and shop and help your friends and community, it's kind of the compassionate thing to do," she said. "I mean look at all this stuff, you're going to find something that you want. It's a good thing to do. I saw this ad that said, 'Buy local or goodbye local' and that is so true."
While shopping at a mall may be easy, one stop shopping with multiple big named stores, small business owners said they are the heart of their communities.