Small Business Saturday took on greater significance this year as many locally owned shops continue to fight for survival amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
At Ward Village, several stores offered discounts Saturday as something of a kickoff to the crucial holiday season.
Angel Foster, owner of Island Olive Oil Company at Ward Centre, said about 35% of her sales for the year occur from October to December.
“The fourth quarter for retail stores is huge — that’s our Super Bowl,” Foster said. “Small Business Saturday tends to be better for small businesses, and it’s a bigger day than Black Friday.”
At Eden in Love in South Shore Market, owner Tanna Dang said Black Friday and the weekends that follow set “the tone for the entire year.” She added that holiday shopping brings in about three times the sales the store usually makes in a month selling clothing, gifts, items for the home and more.
Small Business Saturday, observed nationally the day after Black Friday, was founded in 2010 by American Express to celebrate and support small businesses. It has been officially co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011.
According to the National Retail Federation, 58.1 million people were planning to shop on Small Business Saturday this year. “Historically, reported projected spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $19.8 billion,” according to the 2020 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express.
The goal was a little more modest for many locally owned stores in Hawaii looking for an uptick in sales in what has been a tough year.
Keoki Tavares, owner of House of Intention in Kaimuki, was hoping consumers got their fill of the big malls Friday and were ready for a more intimate, relaxed shopping experience. He said “it’s really wait and see” as to whether the 2021 holiday season will be bountiful for his small business.
“It’s a time when we can get out of debt,” Tavares said Friday. “Today we had some customers but we’re not a big-box store or in a mall, so we’re expecting to see more customers on Saturday who are conscientious about shopping local.”
House of Intention has been wholesaling its locally crafted soy “intention candles,” soaps and essential oils under its Aloha Elixir label for eight years and opened a brick-and-mortar store on 12th Avenue in October 2020.
“We’re not killing it but we’ve been doing OK,” Tavares said. “We’ve been getting by with sales and specials to get people through the door.”
Hawaii’s small businesses have not been immune to the challenges facing major retailers, including supply- chain issues and inflation.
Island Olive Oil Company imports olive oils from around the world, and Foster said shipping delays were as long as six months for some items. She also said that hiring employees has been a particular problem for small businesses that often can’t afford higher wages and benefits.
Joan Smoyer, owner of Noa Noa in Ward Centre, said shipping and material costs for the apparel she sells have jumped “tremendously” because of the pandemic. Smoyer designs the hand-dyed batik clothing the boutique is known for.
Visitors are responsible for a large percentage of sales at Noa Noa, which has locations on Hawaii island and Oahu.
“I am looking forward to more tourists coming, and I’m really looking forward to more Japanese tourists coming,” Smoyer said.
Tina Yamaki, president of the Retail Merchants of Hawaii, said there is a lot at stake over the next few weeks for stores large and small, but the holiday shopping season appears to be off to a good start.
“You can feel that there are a lot more people out shopping this year than there was last year,” Yamaki said Friday. “Most small businesses are still suffering because of the shutdown. … It’s a make-or-break season for them. If they don’t do good this holiday season, they may not survive … in 2022.”
