Tyler celebrates Small Business Saturday

TYLER – Visit Tyler is joining the nationwide movement to celebrate local businesses as it takes part in Small Business Saturday. According to a news release, Shop Small Saturday was founded in 2010 and happens annually on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. That makes it the perfect time to start your holiday shopping at local small businesses, according to organizers, who say those businesses are the heartbeat of the Rose City. The Visit Tyler Visitor Center and Boutique Shop is hosting a special Small Business Saturday Pop-Up Shop from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. inside Plaza Tower in Downtown Tyler.

In addition to their regular locally handcrafted merchandise sold in the store, Visit Tyler is highlighting nearly 20 other local small businesses at the Pop-Up Shop. Items for sale from featured vendors will include arts and crafts, jewelry, homemade treats, clothing, home goods, vintage finds, and much more.

“A lot of people don’t realize, when you shop local, that money goes right back into our economy,” said Visit Tyler President Shari Lee as quoted in the release. “By shopping local you are helping small, unique Tyler businesses survive, which in turn, helps our economy thrive.” Visit Tyler is encouraging people visit small businesses in Downtown and all throughout Tyler. The decision for consumers to “shop small” during the Christmas season has an incredible impact on the livelihoods of local independent retailers and restaurants, according to the news release. Visit Tyler will be reminding everyone to shop local for the holiday season with the “Shop Local, Shop Tyler” campaign.

The 2021 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey reported that an estimated $23.3 billion was spent at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday. For a full list of shopping locations in Tyler, visit this link or download the free Visit Tyler, Tx app.