SPOKANE, Wash. – Small Business Saturday, founded in 2010, encourages shoppers to support small businesses over large chain corporations.
In Spokane, one local business is transforming for the holiday season to drive foot traffic and promote year-round success.
According to the Small Business Administration, 41% of U.S. adults plan to shop in-person at small businesses, while 36% intend to shop online.
In downtown Spokane, there is a strong push to support brick-and-mortar stores.
Erin Haskell Gourde, a local entrepreneur, operates a full-time design firm in downtown Spokane. During December, her business becomes Santa’s Workshop.
“The whole point of it is that Christmas is fun,” Haskell Gourde said. “It’s really fun to come and see, smell and touch things.””
In Spokane County, 2023 data showed there were 9,854 small businesses, each employing between one and nine people. Haskell Gourde’s business is one of them, adapting for the holiday season.
Economists say when money is spent with a local business, it circulates in the local economy five times. When you shop with a chain, those dollars exit Spokane immediately.
This transformation highlights the importance of supporting local businesses and their impact on the community’s economy.
For more information on Small Business Saturday and local businesses in Spokane click here.
