By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
Lake Orion — Just about everyone has heard of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that is traditionally considered the biggest shopping day of the year, and Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving when people search for the best deals online.
Sandwiched in between these is Shop Small Business Saturday, a day when consumers are encouraged to head down to main street and support locally-owned businesses.
“I just want to remind everybody that when you shop in a downtown store you are investing and reinvesting in your community and you are making a difference in a family’s life. These are all small business owners and they live in the community and they invest here. What you do when you choose to shop local is that you are making a huge difference, not just to that particular business owner, but also in your community,” said Lake Orion DDA Executive Director Molly LaLone.
The Lake Orion DDA will have a table at the corner of Broadway and Flint Streets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 25.
Guests to the DDA table will receive SWAG, a shopping guide, a shopping passport and hot cocoa to keep them warm on their shopping excursion. There will also be horse and carriage rides in downtown Lake Orion on Small Business Saturday.
“We are doing some really, really good deals. We’ll be passing out the shopping passport. Normally, you fill out the whole passport and you get $50 in Downtown Dollars back. Instead, during the hours of 10-2, you’ll get $100 back when you fill out the card,” LaLone said.
The DDA will also sell Downtown Dollar gift certificates – good at most businesses and restaurants in downtown Lake Orion. “You can get a $25 gift certificate for $20,” LaLone said.
While LaLone said it is important for people to Shop Small and support local businesses, if they cannot shop in-person on the Saturday, the DDA businesses are online at shopocmainstreets.com. Lake Orion is one of the communities pilot-testing the downtown online shopping platform in Oakland County.
Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 as a way to help revive the economy following the recession in 2008, and to help small businesses across the nation.
For information on downtown Lake Orion’s Shop Small Business Saturday, visit the Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority website at www.downtownlakeorion.org.