To see a complete list of Small Business Saturday special sales, please go HERE.
Downtown Franklin Merchants Offer Special Incentives, Light Main Street
Gwen and Dan Perkins of Chapman’s II
The downtown Franklin community is joining together to support Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26, a national effort to help independently owned merchants gain more exposure during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year. The 150 shops and restaurants in downtown Franklin are offering special sales and other promotions the day after “Black Friday,” an additional encouragement for patrons to shop local.
In its third year, the event gained traction in 2011 when it turned out more than 100 million patrons across the country.
“Small Business Saturday is one way the community shows appreciation for our small businesses,” said Nancy Williams, Downtown Franklin Association Director. “We hope that we can help create a new tradition for families, a Christmas kick-off day in downtown Franklin that promotes relationships in a fun, not chaotic, environment.”
Many of the businesses, like Honey’s Vintage Sweets on S. Margin Street, are offering promotions to guests who supply a Nov. 24 receipt from a fellow downtown Franklin merchant. Gwen Perkins owns Chapman’s Pie Wagon II, a gourmet mobile eatery that sets up in the Landmark Booksellers parking lot on East Main Street. She will offer a hot drink and made-from-scratch dessert for customers who present a receipt, and said the event supports both business-to-business relations and the spirit of the season.
“[Husband] Dan and I are excited to be part of Small Business Saturday again. It was such a happy experience to see our community working together to support local merchants last year,” said Perkins. “Christmas shopping for loved ones should be a joyous experience and I know that people will receive a warm memory when they come to downtown Franklin.”
This year, merchants and downtown Franklin building owners have banded together to add another layer of festivity to Main Street: Saturday night will unveil storefront stories lined with Christmas lights, candles and wreathes. This is the first unified effort to decorate the strip.
“The Heritage Foundation and our merchants have done a fabulous job implementing this initiative, to give the public an extra dose of holiday cheer,” said Bob Roethemeyer, Downtown Franklin Association President and owner of Avec Moi. “This will add even more magic to downtown Franklin during the season, and we couldn’t be more excited to see the effect.”