This weekend, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday deals kept customers local as downtown Longmont turned into a hub for holiday shopping.
Held every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday encourages shoppers to spend their money at local retailers. In Longmont, customers spent the day checking out stores on and around Main Street and across town.
Juniper Goods — a coffee shop, mercantile outlet and zero-proof bar at 659 Fourth Ave. — experienced its first Small Business Saturday this year. The business opened on Nov. 1.
“It’s been the busiest day of the year so far,” Sharon Gee, co-owner of Juniper Goods, said of Saturday.
Although Juniper Goods is located a block west of Main Street, customers are still finding the store, Gee said. Those that find it tend to come back, with Gee citing a 30% customer return rate. The shop also hosts entertainment, including music and comedy performances, in the evenings.
Kevin looks through records at the Vinyl Cafe in Longmont on Saturday. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
“We haven’t had to spend a lot of money on advertising,” Gee said. “I think the amazing thing about Longmont is that everyone’s really supportive of local businesses. When you invest in a community, it invests in you back.”
At The Vinyl Cafe, a record store at 716 Main St., a line formed outside the store at 6:30 a.m. on Friday morning. A dozen shoppers braved the cold to get their hands on newly-released records for the annual “Record Store Day Black Friday” event.
“They were all wrapped in blankets,” said store owner Martin Banks.
This will be the second Christmas for The Vinyl Cafe, which opened last year. Banks said he’s expecting another bustling shopping season in December.
“This time of year, you sell records no matter what,” Banks said. “We’ve had such a busy week, and it will just continue on.”
Longmont Bicycle Company and Front Range eBikes, located at 314 Main St., hosted a big sale this weekend, with certain bikes in the store marked half off. From kids’ bikes to mountain bikes, the store is a destination for anyone seeking their next ride.
“People actually get that being a small business is hard,” said Kristie Shevin, co-owner of Longmont Bicycle Company. “I think they do typically come out this weekend and really support the small businesses. This is always a busy weekend for us, which is huge.”
Don Thompson, left, picks up his bike as Casey Troxel of Longmont Bicycle Company, helps him out on Saturday. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
Since the winter is a slower season for Longmont Bicycle Company compared to the warmer months, Shevin said it’s important that the store got a lot of traffic this weekend. Sales this year in general, however, have been slow compared to previous years, she said.