As the holiday season approaches, the expectations of gift-giving arrive.  Shoppers are given the option of choosing to shop from big businesses like Walmart or Amazon or to shop locally and support hometown shops. When one shops locally, it benefits the local economy, strengthens the community and reduces waste. Many small businesses have suffered throughout the past nine months, due to COVID-19 shutting down shoppers throughout the summer season and into the fall. Events like Dickens of a Christmas and Spring Fling were cancelled, causing downtown businesses to miss out on huge selling opportunities.  

Tori James, co-owner of Two Doors Down, hopes for a successful Christmas shopping season to help out small businesses that have had to close in the past months due to COVID-19.  

“This is the most important year to shop local and to support small businesses,” James said in the Herald Journal. “It’s been tough.” 

While small businesses have lost out on huge portions of their usual revenue, big companies like Walmart and Amazon have made billions during the pandemic. Consumers took advantage of easy online shopping, and these huge businesses have made more money than ever, with Amazon seeing a 37% increase in its earnings to reach a revenue value of $96.15 billion. 

To counter Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping sprees that benefit big companies, Small Business Saturday was on Nov. 28. Downtown Spartanburg had a successful and safe start to the holiday shopping season. 

Cate Seegars (12) sees the benefits of shopping locally and enjoys gifting her friends presents from downtown shops.  

“I know that my friends really enjoy the stores and the cute items inside the stores,” Seegars said. “I also know that supporting a local business helps Spartanburg grow and develop, so buying from a store downtown is a win-win.”