Celebrate 'Small Business Saturday' Patronizing Austin Merchants

AUSTIN, TX — Sandwiched between the frenzy of Black Friday and the anticipation of Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is upon us with its urging of consumers to patronize a brick-and-mortar store that's also of modest size and, more importantly, local.

To understand the importance of buying local on Small Business Saturday, one need only venture inside one of the two Wheatsville Co-op locations in town. Once done, a consumer will achieve an intimate understanding both tangibly and measurably of just how shopping local benefits the local economy.

"It's one of our things we're really passionate about," Dan Gillotte, chief executive grocer, told Patch in a telephone interview while singing the virtues of shopping local. "Money spent in Austin in local businesses has a multiplier effect."

Each dollar spent locally, in other words, stays in the local economy. Those local expenditures then have a ripple effect on the local market, the money spread across the city — unlike those big, national retail chains where money is taken outside the city to benefit the parent company. Yes, there are local sales taxes from which the city benefits even at the national chains, but no multiplier effect, no added, local spending.

Plus, patronizing an Austin-born and based company makes one feel good. Gillotte described how he often sees the company's own suppliers — local farmers, growers and producers — scouring the aisles for food and other locally made or produced items. The two stores are located at 3101 Guadalupe St. and the other at 4001 S. Lamar Blvd.

Another big advantage to shopping locally is the attention placed on the customers' needs, Gillotte said. Wheatsville Co-op offers customers a membership of sorts, a fee that helps customers build rewards and voting power in electing a board of trustees. Customers choosing to participate in that manner are referred to as "owners" of the company.

Gillotte said adjustments are made continually in trying to satisfy every whim of the 21,000 owners. For example, the deli recently was revamped in order to offer consumers more "grab and go" options, he said. Another recent change involves the ability of customers to enjoy an adult beverage while on the premises. On that note, mimosas were recently added to the mix and promoted heavily to shoppers.

"We're trying to have that store where people need a place to hang out," he said of the Guadalupe Street location that has an ample outside seating area where one can enjoy a sandwich, soup or any number of freshly made deli items or myriad locally grown fruit options. "We're trying to build more opportunities at our co-op," Gillotte says.

So don't forget to shop locally today! Remember: It's Small Business Saturday all day on Nov. 25.

>>> Photos taken inside the Guadalupe Street Wheatsville Co-op by Tony Cantú