Let’s celebrate Small Business Saturday, and invest in our local businesses and community.

Good morning.

Perhaps the only thing as American as a tradition that revolves around a multi-course meal—turkey and gravy, potatoes two or three ways, stuffing, pie in two or three flavors—is a day devoted to shopping. Yesterday was Black Friday, an occasion for big box retailers to lure shoppers into their stores and onto their websites with deals and new products. 

But the holiday I’m even more excited about is Small Business Saturday. That’s today, the counterpoint to Black Friday, and a reminder that when we are conscious about our spending, we can help define what our communities look like. We can choose to invest in local businesses, independent ownership, mom-and-pops. These are the types of stores with personality, and the types of merchants we all claim to cherish. The way we really keep them around is not just saying we care about Main Street, but by spending our money there. 

Kimbley Craig, president and CEO of the Monterey County Business Council (and also mayor-elect of Salinas), says it’s no accident that local stores are still thriving. As an example, she notes Salinas’ Star Market, in business for decades—and located just across the street from a chain grocery store. “There are people in this community who are committed to shopping local, and that plays a big role,” she says. 

There’s nothing like a pandemic slowdown to show us the role consumer spending plays in our economy: It accounts for more than two-thirds of our overall economic activity. And big box retailers have done exceedingly well during this trying time. 

Sales at places like Target, Walmart and Home Depot are soaring. Chains benefit from an economy of scale, the ability to operate online platforms and the tendency to sell lots of different stuff—a definite advantage during a pandemic that has people conscious of avoiding too many door handles while shopping. Chain stores do also help feed our local economy with sales tax revenue and they employ local people to work there. 

I know Amazon is convenient. I’ve ordered a bunch of junk (and yes, some essentials too) from the mega-retailer. But about a year ago, pre-pandemic, I made a conscious choice to boycott the website. There are a few times I’ve missed the convenience, but I have found the added effort of showing up and talking to a human pays dividends. Just recently, I brought my phone to Monterey Computer & Smartphone Repair. It took me weeks of failed attempts to arrive while they were open. But within minutes of handing them my phone, I walked away with a perfectly functioning device at no charge, instructions on how to clean it with a toothbrush—and a sense of loyalty. 

I’m impressed as I watch local business owners adapt and make tough decisions and fight to keep the lights on, against the odds. But at the end of the day it’s the dollars we spend that validate those decisions or not. Even if you’re not leaving home due to Covid-19, call and ask to order for curbside pickup. If you’re not dining out, you can buy restaurant gift cards now, then spend them later on a sunny day, post-Covid. If we want the mom-and-pops to be around after this pandemic, it’s up to us. 

-Sara Rubin, editor, sara@mcweekly.com