WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, the holiday shopping season is officially on, and that's music to the ears of local business owners in the metro. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are still a big deal, the co-owner of one local store says that Small Business Saturday's still their biggest opportunity.
"Small Business Saturday has become the single largest day for retailers down here in Valley Junction. It's a great way for the community come out and support the local entrepreneurs that are really giving back to our community," said Meredith Wells, co-owner of MoMere, a boutique in Valley Junction.
And that support is resonating with the hundreds of eager patrons who came out to visit Valley Junction. Shoppers say that they're looking for ways to spend their money closer to home.
"Even if I don't have plans just to wander around. And support is very important, especially with COVID really putting a hold on a lot of businesses and seeing them fall is hard to see, especially in the city," said Lorena Rodriguez, a Valley Junction shopper.
All that extra revenue is actually making a big difference for the local community. According to data from Fundera, for every $100 spent at a small business, $68 goes right back into the local economies.
"Small businesses are the ones that are giving back to the community. They're the ones that are supporting and sponsoring little leagues and donating to different benefits, so it's very important that we have a place that people can go and support these entrepreneurs," Wells said.
MoMere and lots of other businesses around Valley Junction will have deals continuing over the rest of the weekend and into Cyber Monday. You can take a look at those here.