‘This is what we’ve been preparing for’: Washington area stores prepare for Small Business Saturday

It’s a shopping day between Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, but this holiday isn’t about finding the biggest bargains, it’s about supporting local mom-and-pop businesses.

As Small Business Saturday approaches, businesses in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia are preparing for the day of celebration.

“We still have a whole bunch of smaller businesses making individual, unique things that you can only find here in Old Town, and I’m really happy to be a part of that here,” said Michele Marceau, owner of Principle Gallery .

According to Marceau, the gallery, which specializes in contemporary realist art and framing, has been flocking to the shopping holidays for the past 30 years.

“We’re definitely seeing an increase in traffic and sales,” Marceau said.

Marceau said the day is also a chance for her to help other small businesses as well, namely the artists whose work is for sale at the gallery.

“I just love the fact that we can help artists do what they love and connect their great art with collectors who fall in love with paintings, and that’s really a beautiful thing,” Marceau said.

At Lou Lou Boutique, manager Karina Sandoval said they are preparing for larger crowds.

“We prepared for this along with Black Friday,” Sandoval said.

Sandoval said for the boutique, which sells clothing and jewelry, local shopping day is a chance for the store and other small businesses to “make a name for themselves.”

For the shopping holiday, Lou Lou Boutique also plans to offer items like candles and jewelry from local designers to showcase even more small businesses in one location.

“I love giving people that platform and opportunity to shine and hopefully grow from there,” Sandoval said.

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