WORCESTER, Mass. — Local shops in Worcester took advantage of the holiday rush this weekend as part of Small Business Saturday. The initiative was created in 2010 by credit card company American Express in hopes of getting more people to shop locally.
Art supply store C.C. Lowell held a special shopping event in honor of the day. The shop’s owner describes this time of year as a crucial one for business.
“We want them to come shop,” owner Kristen Sciascia said. “We want them to come here. We want them to come to all the local businesses in Worcester. It’s important, keeps Worcester moving. It keeps the dollars here in the city, and that’s what we need. But like I said, I think you’re going to find that you have a lot more options. Pricing is probably better than you’d find at some big box stores because we’re aggressive. You know, we want the business, we need the business, and we want to keep the people who live here working.”
The Retailers Association of Massachusetts is predicting a 1.5% increase in local holiday shopping sales this year.