WEST CHAZY, N.Y. (WCAX) – The holidays are already a busy time for D & D Meats, a mom-and-pop grocery store, and they’re expecting even more business during Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is a little like black Friday, it’s a nationwide initiative to encourage shopping locally after Thanksgiving. D & D meats signed up to participate through the North Country Chamber of Commerce.
“I think it’s pretty helpful. It gets people out into local businesses, not just doing all their shopping at the Black Friday sales at the big chains,” said Sharon Dutil of D & D Meats.
Not every Small Business Saturday has been the same, though.
“One year, there was like a blizzard and it was very slow, other years I’d open the door and people were waiting on the doorstep. … Actually, we find, too, the day after, a lot of people that couldn’t get out here, a lot of times they’ll come out on Sunday,” said Dutil.
Dutil’s son Shane said the holiday season profits help the store last through the rest of the winter. He said initiatives such as Small Business Saturday are especially important in the era of online shopping.
“In the last couple years, I feel it’s starting to damper down a little more: People are buying on the internet, you see more storefronts close up,” said Shane Dutil.
D & D Meats received a lot of community support during Covid, Shane said. But with prices increasing everywhere, that support is waning.
“People were really on that buy-local niche, and now I think with the price of goods, they’re starting to fade back out of it a little bit, so the small businesses are starting to struggle again. Let’s hope it comes back in a circle and people see the importance of a small business,” said Shane Dutil.
On Saturday the store will offer free cookies and hot chocolate and samples of meat products processed in-house. They’re also entering every purchase over 50 dollars into a raffle.
“Or just to see if they can try some products that they haven’t had before,” said Sharon Dutil.
The North Country Chamber of Commerce spotlights deals at businesses like D & D Meats online.
Click this link for more information: https://northcountrychamber.com/sbs
