Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the days following Thanksgiving offer some of the biggest and busiest sales events at some of the biggest stores and on some of the biggest brands, but on Saturday, it was all about community with Small Business Saturday.
The day is intended to support smaller stores, independent sellers and encourage Christmas shoppers to keep it local, and it was no exception in Richton Park with the annual Small Business Pop Up Shop to match crafters with shoppers.
Shoppers wandered in and out of the community center looking for a deal on treasures, including food, not found anywhere else. Many of the vendors, in fact, don’t have brick-and-mortar stores and found their way to making blankets, jewelry and body creams more as a hobby, selling or giving to friends and family the rest of the year.
This was the second year the town hosted the event, and Adam Ray, the media coordinator for Richton Park, said shoppers were in for a generous offering.
“We’ve got merchandise, food, apparel, candles, you name it,” Ray said. “There’s a little bit of everything in there.”
Ray estimated about 400 shoppers dropped in last year to visit the 40 or so vendors who set up tables at the community center, and he expected as least as many visitors this year. Between the posters hung throughout the center and a blitz of social media posts, Ray said the village knows how to promote itself and its vendors.
“We’re really enthusiastic about our promotion,” he said. Besides, the community was eager to buy into the idea and support their friends.
“It’s absolutely important to shop local because small businesses take your money and circulate it back into the community, unlike the big corporations,” said Tammy Bond. “So, I’m a fan.”
That said, some businesses are growing after popping up almost by accident.
Earthy Goods, an outfit run by twin sisters Vauntelia Blackman and Shauntelia Blackman, featured natural goods and products including apparel but focused especially on body rubs and salves intended to help joint and muscle pain.
“We have something for you if you have any kind of pain,” Vauntelia said.
That line of product was developed out of something of a necessity.
“My sister works for the post office and she suffered from back pain,” Vauntelia said, as her sister met with shoppers. “She went to the doctor and they gave her cortisone shots.
The problem was, she’d need more shots, more doctors’ visits and more hassle. Vauntelia said her sister wouldn’t have it, and so she started researching natural ingredients for pain relief balm.
More Top Picks How To Make Reading Fun For A Child Who Hates It
“So she came up with her own product because she didn’t want any more cortisone shots,” Vauntelia said.
Shauntelia said since then, business has been good selling to public servants such as firefighters and police officers. She said the product sells itself, and Saturday she had a chair pulled up and offered free massages with her balm.
“We give massages and they buy my product,” Shauntelia said.
Her booth proved popular with shoppers crowding in to check out the natural balms and ointments. Muscle and joint pain, it seems, aren’t so uncommon.
Ray said if anyone missed the Small Business Pop Up, there’s a second opportunity to buy local next week. The village will host its annual tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. Dec. 2 at the community center and, as a side feature, will offer booths to local crafters once again. For Richton Park, he explained, supporting local businesses is something they try to do more than once a year.
“They make the town go round,” Ray said.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.