Shop local: Small Business Saturday and 3 retailers with SWFL roots
Emma Behrmann, Naples Daily News
5 min read
Southwest Florida residents don't need to hit the mall or search Amazon for gifts this holiday season — they can find the perfect match for their loved ones here in Collier and Lee counties.
Small Business Saturday, the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, was started by American Express in 2010 and was quickly adopted by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a way to support smaller retailers nationwide.
Eighty-four percent of people surveyed in a May 2023 Google/Ipsos survey said supporting local and/or small businesses is important to them. And Google recently unveiled a new tool to help you find local businesses.
Meanwhile, here are three local businesses you can support this Small Business Saturday and for any gift-giving occasion.
Jennifer's
Brenda Lammers looks at a dress while shopping at Jennifer's in Fort Myers on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.
Jennifer's, a women's clothing boutique in Fort Myers, offers anything from shoes to undergarments to "make you feel good from the inside out," owner Jennifer Williams said.
This month, the store celebrates 41 years of business in Fort Myers. Williams' love for fashion and people culminated in opening Jennifers at a time when the area lacked many shopping options.
Although stores have popped up over the last four decades, Jennifers' loyal customers have become friends, and the store continues to thrive.
"We've been blessed to have sustained 40 years in business, and it's because people are loyal and they value what we offer," she said.
Besides clothing, the boutique offers socialization and personal attention. Williams said the shop serves water, wine and coffee, and employees can help identify clothing that best suits a customer's figure.
Jennifer Williams opened her boutique in 1983 in Fort Myers. The store is located at 13251 McGregor Boulevard.
"We just had an older client in for about an hour, and she said 'Oh I always loves coming in here. The energy is so good'," Williams said.
The shop also gives back to the community in the form of charity donations.
Shopping at the boutique at 13251 McGregor Blvd. Suite 111-1 supports local business and the community as the shop donates to local charities. The store touts the importance of small business every day.
"There's a lot of energy [on Small Business Saturday] because we have so many loyal clients that take the time and say 'Hey, we love that you're here'," she said. "Though our clients shop all year long, that day a lot of them take and make it a point to show their appreciation for us."
Mark Loren Designs
This two-piece set is one of many jewelry pieces for sale at Mark Loren Designs in Fort Myers. The diamond ear wires are paired with carved quartz and diamond pendants.
Mark Loren Designs offers jewelry you can't find online.
"Almost 90% of our inventory cannot be price shopped on the Internet," owner Mark Loren said. "You can't get them on the Internet. If someone purchases something here, they're not going to see it all over the Internet."
Custom-designed jewelry, on-the-spot repairs and a gallery filled with options are all part of the Mark Loren Designs shopping at experience.
If someone buys an engagement ring from his store or another, and it doesn't fit, employees will have the ring resized while the couple waits. This way the woman who just got her engagement ring doesn't need to wait two weeks for it to be shipped back to the vendor and manufacturer, Loren said.
Unlike some other repair shops, his store has five goldsmiths who can take jewelry apart and put it back together to renovate pieces that have been worn for 30 or 40 years, he said.
His business thrives off loyal customers and word-of-mouth recommendations. He's operated a retail gallery and given back to the community since 1985.
Mark Loren works on a ring at his jewelry shop in Fort Myers on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. Loren makes beautiful one-of-a-kind jewelry, and he has hundreds of pieces for sale in his store.
"If people come in here and shop, their money that they spend with me stays local — it's not going to a corporate headquarters across the country," he said. "Every dollar spent here stays in the community."
For Loren, owning his own business uses every part of him. He approaches his work like an artist but he also has to think about numbers, planning and managing employees.
"The best part of what we do is even though we get to work with really precious objects every day, the most precious part of what I do is the relationships I have with my clients, my vendors and my staff," he said. "They're the real jewels."
Naples Soap Co.
Deanna Wallin, founder and CEO of Naples Soap Co., began her small business journey in 2009, operating out of a 300-square-foot store in Tin City. Now, her passion for skincare and quality natural skin and hair care products span statewide.
"Through my customer experience, and I think that's the really important part about Small Business Saturday, is that small businesses are very personal, and you get a different experience and connection with the customer," Wallin said. She credits this customer interaction for the store's ability to grow quickly.
She had always been passionate about skincare. Wallin has eczema and psoriasis, and her daughter has eczema, too. Her nursing background and entrepreneurial spirit led her to open Naples Soap Co.
Laura Brummer stocks a shelf at Naples Soap Company on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023.
The current Naples store is located at 1200 5th Ave. Suite 102, but products are sold online, in the other 12 storefronts and even on Amazon. All products are made in the U.S., she said.
The company now has 13 locations and heads into the holiday season, its busiest time of the year.
“We’re heading into what has traditionally been our busiest time of year," Wallin said. "Thus far, it appears that consumers are shopping early this holiday. We’re prepared for the fourth quarter rush with at least 40 new Naples Soap Company core products, our largest collection of accessory products and our most expansive assortment of gift sets in our company history."
Emma Behrmann is a breaking news reporter for Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You may reach her at emma.behrmann@naplesnews.com.
