BUFFALO — Merchants in the Elmwood Village are ready for Small Business Saturday.
They said this one counts even more because there’s one fewer weekend than normal between now and Christmas because Thanksgiving was so late this November.
Therese Deutchlander, owner of Thin Ice and president of the Elmwood Village Association, said she’s urging shoppers to turn out and support local businesses, even if it snows a little Saturday.
“Bundle up! It's winter. And come out and shop because we do have one less weekend this year. So if there happens to be a storm, you're missing out on your opportunity to support these local businesses,” she said.
Johanna Dominguez, owner of Put A Plant On It, is planning a rare plant sale on Saturday and Sunday which she hopes will attract customers. But she says her store offers so much more than pretty plants.
“We pride ourselves in our customer service and the store experience,” Dominguez said. “We have five parrots in the store. We have a dog in the store. It's an experience that you're not going to get anywhere else. We provide a lot of one-on-one attention. I know a lot of people are afraid of owning a plant, afraid of killing it. We write a care card, go over care with you guys every step of the way.”
Gary LaMartina and his wife Kelly have owned Everything Elmwood for 42 holiday seasons now and they are known for offering beautiful gift wrapping for every item. It’s complimentary too.
Gary LaMartina said they decided early on that the gift wrapping would be their niche.
“It's a lot of work,” he said. “We have, generally most days, two dedicated wrappers all day. So…it's a challenge to get it done. And it backs up the store a little bit because people are waiting for things. But, you know, people generally don't mind. They like that touch because who's doing anything for anybody nowadays? I mean, people are just, you know, ‘Here. Here's your package. Get the heck out.”
Most stores in the Elmwood Village will be open at 10 a.m. Saturday.
