Small Business Saturday: Help Them Stay Afloat In Lawrenceville

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Small businesses have been the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, making Small Business Saturday in 2020 more vital than ever. This year, the all-local shopping event falls on Nov. 28 including in Lawrence Township.

Independently owned boutiques, gift shops, mom-and-pop hardware stores, restaurants and the like in Lawrence Township are facing unprecedented challenges due to coronavirus-related restrictions and shutdowns.

The list of Small Business Saturday participants continues to grow, despite the pandemic. Here’s some of the businesses that have signed up so far:

• Valet Auto Wash – Lawrenceville, 4 Litho Rd
• Lawrence Toyota, 2871 Us Highway 1
• Vidalia Restaurant, 21 Phillips Ave
• Haldeman Lexus Of Princeton, 2630 New Brunswick Pike
• Wildflour Bakery Café, 2691 Main Street
• Varsity Pizza & Subs, 1296 Lawrenceville Rd
• Express Food, 5 Lawrenceville Pennington
• Worldwide Wholesale Floor Covering Of Lawrenceville, 2750 Us Highway 1 N
• Penlar Pharmacy, 160 Lawrence Rd
• Pets Plus, 111 Lawrence Rd, Ste 1
• La Taqueria, 1143 Lawrenceville Rd, Ste 1
• Scientific Sales, 1 Carven Lane Suite 6725
• Purple Cow Ice Cream, 2685 Main St
• Colonial Bowling & Ent, 2420 Brunswick Ave
• Franklin Corner Deli, 177 Franklin Corner Road
• Fedelo`S Pizza, 1241 Lawrence Rd
• Bathhouse Café, 2500 Main Street
• Village Cleaners, 2687 Main St
• Community News Service, 15 Princess Rd
• Golden Empire Restaurant, 2787 Brunswick Pike
• Cafe Domenicos, 2797 Brunswick Pike
• Lawrenceville Home Impro., 2821 Brunswick Pike

Read More Here: NJ Patch Local Business Information Center: A Community Resource

Did we miss anyone in Lawrence Township? Tell us in the comments or send an email to sarah.salvadore@patch.com and we’ll add it to the list.

Temporary closures, capacity restrictions, decreased demand for products and services and delays due to supply-chain issues have led to unprecedented challenges for small-business owners.

But the “Shop Small” movement continues amid these hardships.

“This holiday season looks a little different, but we can still share joy,” American Express, which established Small Business Saturday in 2010, said in a statement. “Shop small and support your favorite small businesses — both in store and online — all holiday season long.”

Sixty-two percent of small businesses in the United States need to see sales income return to the same rate it was pre-pandemic before the end of the year to stay in business, according to American Express.

These businesses, many family-owned, were already fighting for survival against malls, big box stores and online retailers before the pandemic.

“Small businesses have an immeasurable effect on the quality of life in neighborhoods by providing necessary resources and supporting a local ecosystem that includes charitable organizations, schools and churches,” said Caroline Connors, executive director of the Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association, an organization that supports small businesses on the South Side of Chicago.

Since 2010, local business supporters have spent more than $100 billion on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express.

A Shop Small Consumer Impact survey from American Express before the pandemic 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 affect their local communities.

The 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.

For every dollar spent at a U.S. small business, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community, according to American Express. This helps independent shops and restaurants keep their doors open and meet pay for 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.

“With so many small businesses hit hard in 2020, it’s more important than ever to shop locally this holiday season to ensure they are able to continue operating in 2021,” Connors said.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

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