HARTFORD, Conn. — Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to shopping small and local for the holidays.
“We have honestly trained all year for this day,” said Rory Gale, owner of Hartford Prints.
“Basically the biggest day of the year for small businesses,” explained Gentle Bull Shop’s owner Gabrielle Rodrigue. “We plan for it all year round.”
Small businesses on Pratt Street in Hartford have been getting ready for months, for what they call their Super Bowl.
“It's a way for our customers, our fans, our neighbors, everyone in the area to come out and show how much you care about a small business,” Gale said.
This is Hartford Prints’ tenth year on Pratt Street and the eleventh Small Business Saturday.
“You come out and you show your support, you spend your dollars locally and that allows us to be here next year, for 10 more years,” she added.
An annual tradition across the country, Small Business Saturday is meant to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities.
“It's really an exciting opportunity as the holiday season and gift-giving season kicks off for people to come on in and shop small,” said Alexandra Pilon, co-owner of Bloom Bake Shop.
“It's hard to compete with big box stores and the deals that they're able to do,” Rodrigue continued. “So having a day dedicated to the small businesses gives people the opportunity to intentionally spend their money and help the local economy.”
Rodrigue says Gentle Bull Shop, a thrift and gift store, opened on Pratt just over a year ago.
“It's our busy season like we work around the clock to make this happen,” she said. “It can be slower in different seasons, but this is like constant.”
This year’s Small Business Saturday in Hartford is bigger than ever.
The “Small State Big Saturday” holiday market on Pratt Street will feature nearly 20 local vendor pop-ups within the stores, as well as door-buster gifts and deals for early shoppers.
“Not everybody has a brick-and-mortar,” said Rodrigue. “A lot of people vend at markets and different things like that. So giving them a space to be visible, seen by people that might not know that they exist, is kind of a game changer.”
“These are makers that could eventually have retail spaces,” added Gale. “So Hartford Prints started by going to markets holiday markets, Bloom Bake Shop started by doing the same thing.”
This is an opportunity these local business owners say means the world.
“Many, many times you're buying the product directly from the person who made that product,” Pilon said. “So it's just so impactful and it's so rewarding as the business owner to see those products go out and it means a lot when you give the gift to the person receiving it as well, to keep it right in the community here.”
The Small Business Saturday festivities are on Pratt Street and run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 25.
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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