This weekend, many businesses across Greater Lansing will be taking part in Small Business Saturday. The event encourages customers to shop at their local mom and pop stores.
Businesses in downtown Lansing are gearing up to open their doors for Small Business Saturday. The annual event takes place during Thanksgiving weekend.
Steve Japinga is with the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. He says shopping locally can have an economic impact on the community’s wellbeing.
“It's just great to be able to support our neighbors that own small businesses and they're obviously employing several of our neighbors throughout the community" he said. "So it's just really important to make that little extra effort this holiday season.”
The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign earlier this month to encourage customers to shop on Saturday. The campaign involves providing advertising materials to some local businesses about the importance of shopping local on Small Business Saturday.
Adam Seyburn, owner of the Peanut Shop, is one of of several downtown businesses partnering with the chamber.
"Hopefully it brings out a lot of people who maybe otherwise would be shopping at one of the big box stores or a chain," he said. "Hopefully it brings them to more small local businesses like there are in downtown Lansing.”
Other Lansing businesses participating in Small Business Saturday this weekend are: Country Stitches, Bradly’s Home and Garden, Elderly Instruments, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Curvaceous Lingerie, Impression 5 Science Center, TinkrLAB and Hyacinth House.
As part of the event, parking in downtown Lansing will be free Saturday.