TYLER, Texas — When people think of the Christmas season, many things might come to mind. One of them is holiday shopping. It’s been a busy past couple of days for shopping across the country, and many small businesses are competing with big box stores.
"We’re definitely busier that is 100% sure," said Makenna Currey, marketing and social media manager at Gaudy Me Boutique in Tyler.
There's Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but one that some people might not hear as often is Small Business Saturday. Here in East Texas, there are lots of unique small businesses both new and old.
"I think our online has grown a lot with the online shopping aspect of Black Friday and that, because definitely our sales have gone higher on that end," Currey said.
While big box stores and chain companies seem to have a hold on holiday shopping, Scott Martinez, president and CEO of the Tyler Economic Development Council, said that having big names in the Piney Woods doesn’t always pull away from shopping small.
"They employ people in our community, they get paychecks, and then they are able to shop small businesses and use small business services," Martinez said.
While deciding where to get your gifts during the rest of the season, Martinez has some advice for holiday shoppers.
"Every big business started as a small business. And a lot of these are family owned businesses and I think it’s important to support your neighbors," Martinez said
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