SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Holiday shopping isn’t just for the big chain stores.
Small Business Saturday is right around the corner, and local shops are hoping to get your support. Every penny counts for locally owned businesses in Sacramento including Shirley's Sugar N Spice —one of several small shops inside the Florin Square Shopping Center, also known as 'Sacramento's Black Wall Street.'
"These are products that I make myself. I make the muscle relaxer, I make the face mask, the hair cream, and I make the goat and honey milk lotion," said owner Shirley Shepard. "The other product that I carry is aromatherapy. The statues I do, my son got those for me. They're very popular and very representative of African culture."
With the big shopping day just hours away, Shepard is hoping to see a boost in sales over the weekend, especially after her shop faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I'm expecting a lot of sales today and tomorrow. I came here with those expectations," said Shepard. "January's a slow month in retail so we need to be able to garner enough now to give us momentum for the next coming year."
For Shepard, support for her business means keeping the doors open and the bills paid.
"Shopping local, when you generate that income, it helps us to hire people," she said ."We need you to come. We can't make it without you. Without the public, we're dead."
There was certainly no shortage of customers choosing to shop local across town in Old Sacramento Friday. It's encouraging for Muhammad Asif to see.
He's owned Old Sac Shirts and Gifts for the past 14 years.
"Small businesses are already struggling because people are shopping on Amazon," said Asif. "The local businesses are expecting when the people are here, then they might get some business."
SacRT is offering free rides to support small businesses throughout the weekend. Rides on fixed-route buses are light rails are free from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. All you have to do is show a print out or screenshot of this free ride flyer.
Watch more from ABC10: Black Friday Deals | Customers hunt for deals at Best Buy in Elk Grove
