RICHMOND, Va. -- On Small Business Saturday, thousands of shoppers flocked to the shops at Carytown, hoping to support locally owned businesses throughout the strip.
For some shops like toy store, World of Mirth, it's the busiest day of the year.
"Today, on Small Businesses Saturday, we could see a couple thousand people come through the store, probably between 4,000 to 5,000" said Thea Brown, the owner of World of Mirth. "Although, over the last two years, it's always kind of difficult to throw a ballpark out there."
This year, inflation is at the top of mind for buyers and sellers.
“We obviously had to raise prices on some things and there are maybe some other top sellers that we’re kind of known for, that the price went up so much that I was uncomfortable bringing them in. So, I still wanted to maintain being a place that was economical for a lot folks," Brown said. “We carry, you know, anything from 75 cents all the way up to a couple hundred dollars. We try to have something for everybody.”
A few doors down, Chop Suey, a locally owned bookstore, has seen the prices of hardback books raise slightly. Store manager Athena Palmer said the store is working to make sure there's an array of paperback and second-hand books that can fit shoppers' budgets.
However, the rise in price is not stopping shoppers from coming in, something Palmer said the team is grateful for.
“So much of the money stays in our community, so much of it just circulates here as opposed to it going out to somebody somewhere else in a mansion," Palmer said. "We love what we do here. It’s a dream to be able to work in a bookstore full-time, right. I think everyone who works here has dreamed of this since they were little, and we could not do this if we did not have people coming in here to support us.”
Palmer said the store sees regular shoppers, many who may favor coming into a bookstore to shop, rather than doing so online.
“One of my favorite things is when someone comes in and they see a book and they say, ‘I’ve been looking for this book, I’m so excited!’ And they like clutch it to their chest and carry it around," Palmer said. "Just the feeling of finding something you’re looking for or seeing a new book by your favorite author, it’s completely different than just searching it and pressing ‘buy now’ and waiting for it to show up.”
Although World of Mirth did not plan on having any sales for Small Business Saturday, the store is donating a slice of the day's profits to two different Richmond-based nonprofits, as another way to say, "thank you."
"Your money goes farther, and stays in the community," Brown said.
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