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Your Guide to Small Business Saturday in #DTJax

Everyone knows about Black Friday and Cyber Monday–they’re HUGE shopping holidays after Thanksgiving that offer large discounts and take all of our money (unfortunately)—but few know about Small Business Saturday, which isn’t surprising. To clear up any confusion, let’s break down what Small Business Saturday is and why you should care (and you should!).

A Holiday for the Underdog

Small Business Saturday has been around for eight years (eight years!?) and was born out of a need to represent small, local brick and mortar shops during the largest shopping season of the year.

With successful holidays like Black Friday—which capitalized on corporate shopping opportunities—and Cyber Monday—which focused on e-commerce—there was a gap (literally between Friday and Monday) that small businesses could fill; that’s where American Express saw an opportunity.

In 2010, American Express launched Small Business Saturday with support from Amex and other non-profit organizations. For the last eight years, Small Business Saturday has become a nationwide event and has even become popular overseas. Now, you might be thinking, “this is all great, but why should I care?” Well, here’s why…

Investing in your Community

It’s convenient to purchase items online. We all do it! Amazon and other giants are pioneers on that front; however, this convenience has caused a domino effect in communities around the nation.

We don’t realize that every time we buy something from a corporate business, we take away the opportunity for the owners of local, small businesses to pay their bills and even realize their dreams; Downtown Jacksonville is no different. That’s why Small Business Saturday’s a big deal.

Since Small Business Saturday started,U.S. customers have reported spending
an estimated total of $85 billion, according to American Express. That’s $85 billion in 8 days! If we want to see downtown improve economically, then we have to invest our time, our money and our passion to make it happen.

If we want to shape the culture of our city, we have to support the local shops that define our character and values, which larger corporations simply can’t do. This year, we should all strive to support our local businesses and in turn, we’ll help shape a vibrant and thriving community. Here’s what you need to know to #shopsmall in #DTJax:

The Main Event

The team at DVI is proud to support Small Business Saturday on November 24, 2018 (that’s only a WEEK away!). It’s an all-day event that encompasses all of Downtown, from Brooklyn to the Urban Core. There are 15 participating businesses this year including fan-favorites Chamblin’s UptownHyppo Ice Pops, Riverside Arts Market and Wolf & Cub.

To add a cherry on top, we have an AMAZING giveaway for the ultimate #DTJax fan: a swag bag including a Visit Jacksonville tote, $25 gift card to Mocha Misk’i, $10 voucher for Breezy Jazz Club, tickets to see a show at The Ritz Theatre and Museum and 5  & Dime, A Theatre Company. Do I have your attention now? Here’s how it works:

  1. Start at any of the participating businesses and receive your passport.
  2. Get a stamp from at least SIX of the locations listed below.
  3. Turn in your completed passport with at least SIX stamps at any of the participating venues.
  4. You’re DONE. It’s that simple (I wish everything was…).

The winner of the giveaway will be selected at random and notified on Monday, November 26 via email. Please make sure to provide your contact information because passports with incomplete/missing information will not be considered(sounds harsh but #SorryNotSorry).

Stop by these participating businesses in Downtown Jacksonville to show your love and try your hand at the prize:

  1. Bay Street Bar & Grill | 119 E Bay St.
  2. Bellwether | 100 N Laura St.
  3. Bold City Brewery Downtown | 109 E Bay St.
  4. Breezy Jazz Club | 119 W Adams St.
  5. Burrito Gallery Brooklyn | 100 E Adams St.
  6. Chamblin’s Uptown | 215 N Laura St.
  7. Duval Mercantile | 205 N Laura St.
  8. Hyppo Brooklyn | 90 Riverside Ave. #605
  9. Jacobs Jewelers | 205 N Laura St.
  10. Mocha Misk’i | 209 N Laura St.
  11. Riverside Arts Market | 715 Riverside Ave.
  12. The Carling | 31 Adams St.
  13. Visit Jacksonville | 208 N Laura St.
  14. Wolf & Cub | 205 N Laura St.

If you want more details (‘cause if you made it this far, you MUST be interested), make sure to visit DTJax.com/shopsmall to chart your course and discover all that downtown has to offer.

I don’t think I need to remind you to share your favorite Small Business Saturday moments on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #ShopSmall (let’s be honest, you were going to do it anyway).

 

We hope to see you out and about in #DTJax on Saturday, November 24 (probably in your ONE winter coat since it might be below 80 degrees). There’s so much to do and see in our city and it would be a shame if you missed out on this.

While you’re in the neighborhood, check out our Events Calendar for everything going on in #DTJax as well as our Directory to learn more about all the restaurants, shops and nightlife spots to enjoy. And of course, if you’re coming downtown and don’t know where to park (over 43,000 parking spots), don’t worry! Check out parkdtjax.com for helpful information (‘cause we’ve got your back!).