The Downtown Association of Yakima (DAY) is excited to announce that 33 businesses will participate in this year’s Downtown Yakima Small Business Saturday Presented by Pacific Power and DAY, November 28th, from 10 am to 4 pm. Even with the new restrictions, the promotion still falls within the Governor’s guidelines and an ample amount of downtown businesses are still enthusiastic about this unique, once-a-year event.
“We are super excited, “says DAY Executive Director, Andrew Holt, “to grow from 17 to 33 businesses in just the second year of the event. It shows the value of Small Business Saturday and the buy-in from our downtown businesses. And we are also very heartened by their resilience and desire to go forward with the event in safe manner and compliant with the new guidelines. Some have shown great adaptability”
Using the national Shop Small campaign by American Express as a backdrop, the local event strives to create a holiday shopping day that focuses on local, independently owned small businesses. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday featuring big box stores and online behemoths, respectively, Small Business Saturday is a chance for shoppers to discover and enjoy the charm of their local merchants and to support their fellow community members.
“The goal of Downtown Yakima Small Business Saturday is to create a fun, happy, exciting day downtown where you have shoppers walking from business to business and experiencing businesses they have not been in before,” says Holt. “We also hope that it draws a portion of the population who haven’t been downtown in a while and get reintroduced to its charm and all the new businesses that have opened up since their last visit.”
A special thanks goes out to Pacific Power (PacificCorp) who is the presenting sponsor. “We are very proud to be part of this event that highlights the vital importance of small, local businesses,” said Toni Petty, regional business manager for Pacific Power. “Local businesses always deserve our support and this year it is more important than ever. Small businesses fuel our growth and give a community its character. Pacific Power stands behind that 100 percent.”
The Nuts & Bolts of the Small Business Saturday:
Each business will have their own special promotions and sales for Small Business Saturday. In addition, shoppers can pick up a passport at any participating business. Their passport will be stamped at each participating business they visit. They will be entered into a drawing for a Downtown Yakima Gift Basket with every 5 stamps and one proof of purchase. A passport turned in with 10 stamps and 2 proof of purchase would receive 2 entries. Passports can be turned in at the final participating business they visit. They must be turned in during Small Business Saturday. The gift baskets consist of downtown gift cards and merchandise. Participating businesses will be marked by Small Business Saturday posters in the front window or on the front door.
Shoppers will also receive a complimentary shopping tote with a Small Business Saturday purchase. Maps of participating businesses can be picked up at each participating business or downloaded from the DAY website.
DAY is promoting the event heavily through social media and is taking out a full-page spadea ad in the Thanksgiving Day Yakima Herald Republic. Businesses can contact Lindsey Madsen at YHR if they are interested in creating a coop section.
“In this year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Small Business Saturday takes on even greater importance,” says Holt. “We want to strongly demonstrate that Downtown Yakima is still alive and well, and it is a chance for the community to make a concerted effort to support their local, independent business owners. We encourage folks to check our Facebook and Instagram page as we are featuring each business’ promotion as we lead up to Small Business Saturday.”
Posted November 19, 2020
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