Local boutiques offering deals on Small Business Saturday

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2012
BY  ERINN CONNOR
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Bigger stores have Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Smaller, independent stores, such as Ambience Boutique in Edgewater, have Small Business Saturday.

"It makes people step back and think about their local small businesses," said Dorothy Regan, who co-owns Ambience with stylist Grace Guido. The boutique offers hand-picked labels and one-on-one advice. "When a customer walks into our store, we assist them in a way only boutiques can."

The day, which was first designated in 2010, is an opportunity for boutiques and stores nationwide to entice customers with special deals and sales. Ambience, which keeps a Small Business Saturday sticker posted on its door year-round, is offering 20 percent off all sale items in store and on its website. Regan said they hope to make new customers into regulars.

Small Business Saturday is sponsored by American Express, which keeps a database of small businesses across the country participating in the day. American Express cardholders can also get $25 back on a purchase of $25 or more at a qualifying small business, if they enroll their card at shopsmall.americanexpress.com.

American Express estimates that more than 100 million people shopped small businesses last year. According to a 2011 study by the U.S. Small Business Administration, small shops pay 44 percent of the total private payroll in the United States.

Read the full story at NorthJersey.com