Downtown merchants will celebrate Small Business Saturday Nov. 28 (HOPE E. TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
WESTFIELD- As the pandemic continues to impact the City of Westfield and its residents, some local downtown businesses are still finding ways to celebrate the upcoming Small Business Saturday.
Taking place the day after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday is a day where everybody is encouraged to shop at local businesses rather than the big box stores they likely shopped at the day before.
This year is quite different, as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted local businesses due to previous shutdowns and the general public’s anxiety over going into public stores.
Despite this, some local shop owners still intend to celebrate small businesses on Saturday.
Russell Atwood, owner of Blue Umbrella Books said that he will be having an ongoing buy-one-get-one-free special that will run through Saturday. The special is being sponsored by M.M. Burke Associates, according to Atwood.
“I will even be open on Thanksgiving and meeting with folks who are passing through,” said Atwood.
He said he will have a large Christmas book selection, and that he just revamped one of the walls of his store to be a dedicated kids book section. He will also have tables set up with matching book themes. For example, a book like The Diary of Anne Frank will be displayed alongside other books that talk about the Holocaust.
Atwood said he will likely not have additional vendors at the bookstore on Saturday, but that a local glass artist will have a dedicated display in Blue Umbrella.
Another local business, Budsuds Soapery will also be celebrating Small Business Saturday. Owner Amanda Carraciolo said that the store will be having a 10 percent off sale through the weekend. She said that it has been difficult to put on sales recently, as the pandemic has impacted the number of people who come through their door.
“For a small business it is really hard to do deals when nobody is really coming in the door,” said Carraciolo.
Bud Suds is a store that mostly sells soaps infused with cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive chemical that is commonly found in cannabis plants alongside THC. Bud Suds is a relatively new fixture to Westfield’s downtown. They will be celebrating their two-year anniversary of having a physical store on School Street on New Years Eve.
Westfield of course has many small businesses that deserve some support this Saturday after what has been a tough year for business across the board.
Blended Vintage Marketplace, an artisan gallery of art and home furniture will be open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Mama Cakes, a local bakery specializing in cupcakes will be open from noon to 6 p.m. that day.
Rosewood Home and Gifts, the home decor and gift shop on Elm Street will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Small Business Saturday.
