Small Business Saturday 2019: Participating Businesses In Salem

SALEM, MA — You may not think about it much, but independently owned boutiques, gift shops, mom-and-pop hardware stores, restaurants and the like in Salem are fighting for survival against malls, big box stores and online retailers.

Small Business Saturday, held annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, was created to give them a boost and help level the field of competition. This year, the 10th anniversary of the “Shop Small” movement, the all-local shopping event falls on Nov. 30.

Here’s a list of the some of the businesses that have signed up so far:

• ChezCasa, Bridge St
• Salem Witch Museum, 19 1/2 Washington Sq.
• Aaa Old Naumkeg Antiques, 1 Hawthorne Blvd.
• Crow Haven Corner, 125 Essex St.
• Essex Cleaners, 109 Essex St.
• Olde Main Street Pub, 121 Essex St.
• Histrionic Academy, 127 Essex Street
• Beautiful Things, 127 Essex Street
• Salem Food Store, 126 North Main Street
• Bella Verona, 107 Essex St.
• Jolie Tea Company, 105 Essex St., Across From The Hawthorne Hotel
• New England Magic, 131 Essex St.
• Artemisia Botanicals, 3 Hawthorne Blvd.
• Bit Bar Salem, 50 Saint Peter St.
• Village Tavern, 168 Essex St.
• Silver Moon Comics, 1 E India Square Mall #131
• Thai Place, 1 E India Square Mall
• Salem Movie Theatre, 1 E India Square Mall
• Salem Witch Mansion
• Massachusetts Lotus Gifts, Museum Place
• Net Atlantic/Injesus , 10 Federal St Suite 26
• Witch Tee`S, 172 East Essex St Ste 127, Museum Place Mall
• Witch Pix, 172 Essex Street
• Peabody Essex Museum Gift, East India Square 161 Essex St
• Peabody Essex Museum
• Amelia Payson House, 16 Winter St
• Essex Ny Pizza & Deli, 2 East India Square Mall
• The Atrium Cafe, 161 Essex St
• Polonus European, Delicatessen 176 Essex St
• Bewitched In Salem, 180 Essex St
• Law Office Of Prm, 15 Church St
• Penas Accounting, 15 Church St
• Red Line Cafe, 188 Essex St
• Pamplemousse, 185 Essex St
• Psychic Parlor & Wit, 184 Essex Street
• New England Dog Biscuit, 7 Central St
• Angels Landing, 192 Essex St
• Salem Five Cent Savings Bank
• Aroma Sanctum Perfumes, 28 Pleasant St. #1
• New England Pirate Museum
• Topmast Studio, 8 Central St
• The Trolley Depot, 191 Essex St
• The Back Room, 196 Essex St
• Witch History Museum
• Salem Beer Works, 278 Derby St
• Pyramid Books, 214 Derby St Apt 2
• Turner's Seafood At Lyceum Hall, Seafood 43 Church St

Did we miss anyone in Salem? Tell us in the comments or send an email to dave.copeland@patch.com and we’ll add it to the list.

The list of Small Business Saturday participants is growing, so before you head out to shop. “Shop Small” events include not only sales on things you won’t find at the mall or other shopping venues, but also events that bring the community together.

In addition to free downtown parking, Salem is offering free bike share rides and discounted membership to residents and visitors. Beginning on Thanksgiving and lasting through December 24th, the price of the first year of an annual Zagster membership will be 50% off for new subscribers. Riders that choose the pay as you go option can receive $4.00 of ride credit, good for 2 hours of free riding, with the promo code RIDE4FREE.

American Express established Small Business Saturday in 2010 to help local businesses reeling from the Great Recession. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution a year later encouraging businesses in all 50 states to participate in what has morphed into a nationwide “shop small” movement.

This year, the stakes are even higher for small businesses. Rising rents and shifting consumer behavior are causing many small business owners to shutter their shops, according to American Express.

A Shop Small Consumer Impact survey from American Express found that 73 percent of people think empty storefronts are a national issue, and 84 percent agree the increase in empty storefronts and the closing of small, independently owned businesses negatively affects their local communities.

“We recognize the hardships faced by small business owners today and want to inspire people to take notice and Shop Small to support their communities on Small Business Saturday and beyond,” Elizabeth Rutledge, chief marketing officer at American Express, said in a news release. “Retail is changing, but local shops are the fabric of our communities, helping them to thrive in the future is part of our brand ethos and backing promise.”

Since 2010, local business supporters have spent $103 billion on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express.

But that’s only part of the story. For every dollar spent at a U.S. small business, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community — and it helps independent shops and restaurants keep their doors open and meet pay their workers, your neighbors.

That amounts to about $67 billion that has stayed in local communities since Small Business Saturday began, according to American Express.

The American Express survey showed that when consumers are aware of the impact of spending their dollars locally, 75 percent said they would be more likely to purchase a product or service from small, independently owned businesses.

Shopping small isn’t just a Thanksgiving weekend retail event, but a year-long movement, according to American Express, which says it is launching a marketing campaign to make consumers more aware of the impact they can have on their communities when they support local businesses.

“We believe in backing small businesses because we know they strengthen the communities where we live and work,” Anna Marrs, president of Global Commercial Services at American Express, said in the news release.