Customers wait in line at Ezra’s Mercantile on Elm Street during Small Business Saturday. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay)
WESTFIELD – While bargain hunters flocked to malls and big chain stores for Black Friday deals after Thanksgiving, many consumers chose to keep it local and supported Small Business Saturday.
Downtown Westfield was busy Saturday afternoon as shoppers visited the local offerings and stopped in the downtown eateries for lunch.
At Ezra’s Mercantile, a line of customers kept owner Lou Sirois and her staff busy.
“It’s been nice and steady all day,” said Sirois. “I really appreciate the effort people made to support small business today.”
For resident Lesley Lambert, shopping locally is something she does every day, but especially on Small Business Saturday. Lambert visited Ezra’s, as well as several other local shops where she made a huge dent in her holiday shopping for family and friends, as well as her Park Square Realty clients.
“As a member of the local business community, I fel it’s important that we support our local shops,” said Lambert. “I really enjoy shopping locally. If I can’t find something I need locally, I order it online.”
Sirois said she saw many regular customers, as well as some new faces Saturday and was thrilled with the line of customers in the store. She said being a downtown merchant is sometimes a struggle.
“It’s still a challenge,” she said, adding she hopes the Gaslight District renovations underway will bring more business to the area.
“I really hope it brings more retail shops,” she said. “There are reasons to come downtown and it’s fun to be here.”
