HOLIDAY SHOPPING: Soda City’s small businesses profiting from increased foot traffic
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — If you did not shop on Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, you might want to start your holiday buying.
Here in Columbia, local businesses are seeing customers coming in to buy gifts.
“So far it has been really great. Business has been good this whole year,” said Pete Schoenbrodt, buyer at Something Special, a store on Main Street.
Despite the year of good business, Something Special saw a modest crowd on Small Business Saturday.
“It was okay,” Schoenbrodt admits. “It wasn’t as publicized as it has been in the past.”
For one shop in Five Points, this past weekend was great for business.
“Coming off of a fantastic Black Friday, we expect great things going forward. This was probably the best Black Friday we’ve had in years,” said Kelly Tabor, owner of Good for the Sole.
Tabor says he has noticed an increase in foot traffic.
“I think people are shifting away from online shopping and trying to get out,” he said. “We were locked down for so long and people were hesitant to go out. I think people are looking for the experience of shopping instead of doing it online.“
Good for the Sole sees a lot of shoppers who are just passing by, but the store also has a loyal customer base.
“We’re very honored and lucky that we’ve got customers that support us,” Tabor said. “They check with us first to see if we have a specific style or color. If we don’t have it… they’re willing to let us try to get it for them.”
If you see something you like in Something Special, you might want to go ahead and buy it because of the store’s limited inventory.
“For us, we tell people to get it now,” Schoenbrodt said. “We don’t order a large amount of product.”
While neither Main Street or Five Points was full of shoppers on Wednesday, local businesses expect crowds to pick back up.
“We notice a calming down after Black Friday,” Tabor said. “In the weeks leading up to Christmas, it will gain momentum again.”
“Business has been really good this year so we can’t really complain too much,” Schoenbrodt said.
No matter what is on your list, both stores urge you to shop local this year.
