ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Heavy snowfall across Rockford Saturday kept many shoppers’ home and left local small businesses without the usual boost they count on during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year.
Small business Saturday typically brings steady crowds to locally owned stores, but today’s storm changed the picture entirely. Streets stayed slick, parking lots saw less cars, and several small businesses reported significantly lower turnout compared to past years.
For many shop owners, the timing couldn’t of been worse. LendingTree’s latest holiday shopping survey shows 54% of Americans say they were planning on shopping local this season, while 76% planned to purchase holiday gifts from independent retailers. However, these numbers did not see the light of day as the weather became a major barrier.
Smiley’s vintage supply company owner, Ryan Smiley, says that this was one of his lowest years ever in terms of customer turnout…