Communities to Promote Local Businesses This Weekend
When it comes to Thanksgiving and the ensuing mad rush to the stores for Black Friday, many shoppers might envision hordes of crowds flooding big-box stores and large retailers in the wee hours of the morning.
This holiday season, some of the local chambers of commerce and business organizations are hoping shoppers stay close to home by offering great deals and a way to help small, independent merchants.
The Thornwood-Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce is holding its first Mount Pleasant Holiday Shop & Dine Savings Pass program. Chamber member Aimee Nichols, one of the owners of Berger Hardware, said the new local program was inspired by the annual American Express Small Business Saturday program, scheduled for Nov. 29. American Express will be providing statement credits to its card holders who patronize participating small businesses this Saturday.
The new Mount Pleasant program offers consumers savings of $10 for purchases of at least $25 at the 15 participating stores and restaurants, Nichols said. The local chamber is sending out about 20,000 mailings with discount passes that local residents will receive on Wednesday and Friday. The passes can be used from Nov. 28 through Dec. 7.
“You can use it one time at each business,” Nichols said.
Nichols said the new holiday program for the Thornwood-Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce is in keeping with the chamber’s mission of promoting mom-and-pop stores.
Other business hamlets are also participating in various incentive programs to coincide with Small Business Saturday this weekend. The Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce has a variety of merchants who are offering significant discounts. Customers can visit www.chappaqua-millwoodchamberofcommerce.org for a list of participating businesses and deals being offered.
Shoppers can also register their American Express card to take advantage of American Express’ Small Business Saturday promotion, providing a $10 statement credit as many as three times for each card.
To receive the credit, the card member must use his or her registered card and spend at least $10 in a single, in-store transaction at a qualifying small business on Nov. 29. That can be done up to three times.
A list of qualifying businesses can be viewed at www.ShopSmall.com. Registration is open until Saturday unless the predetermined limit of registered card holders has been reached.
