Shopping small: Shop Fishers returns for seventh year

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Small businesses need a boost now more than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the City of Fishers will present the seventh annual Shop Fishers event that takes place on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28.

Small Business Saturday was created in 2010 to encourage residents to shop small and local stores. It was created by American Express and adopted by cities across the nation.

“This year we have a record-high business participation with over 60 local businesses,” said Stephanie Perry, the city’s assistant director of community and public relations. “Last year was about 58, so it’s a (little) higher. However, last year was extremely high, because in the past, we were trending around 40 on average. There’s definitely been a huge increase in the last two years.”

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City of Fishers Assistant Director of Community and Public Relations Stephanie Perry shops at Shine Design in Fishers. (Photo by Anna Skinner)

Perry attributes the increase to local businesses seeing the value by participating.

“Fishers has worked in recent years to expand this event to not just businesses in the Nickel Plate District, but all the way from Allisonville to Olio (roads) and beyond,” Perry said. “It’s truly a city-wide event.”

Perry said it’s obvious COVID-19 has made an impact on local businesses, and she said now it is more important than ever to shop small.

“It’s been a very tough year for local businesses in our community, so we really want to encourage all residents to shop small, shop local and support local entrepreneurs this holiday season,” Perry said. “A lot of local businesses are offering special services due to COVID-19, anything from online ordering to curbside pickup to delivery or carryout.”

Perry said businesses are taking extra steps to get their products to customers in ways that they haven’t offered before.

Schoolhouse 7 Café offers a drive-thru that is a unique feature for a local coffee shop. Board and You, a custom charcuterie business, offers items designed for home parties as many residents are hosting smaller gatherings due to the pandemic. Some businesses, like Wasson Nursery, are offering online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery.

No matter how comfortable you are this holiday season, whether you want to shop from home, get carryout and delivery or want to go out in the store, you can support local businesses in ways that are right for you,” Perry said.

Some businesses are offering deals on gift cards or online merchandise. Perry said some franchise locations are participating in Shop Fishers because the owners are local.

“We have businesses participating in Shop Fishers that maybe have many locations, so they are a franchise. However, they are still owned by local business owners and are still important,” Perry said. “Just because something is a chain, there could still be a local entrepreneur behind that. I think with COVID-19, it’s always important to shop local and it’s more important than ever to give back to the local economy and really help to build the local business community.”

For a full list of participating businesses, visit thisisfishers.com/shop-fishers/.

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City of Fishers PR and Marketing Coordinator Christina Poetz shops at one of the Shop Fishers businesses. (Photo by Anna Skinner)

Fishers Arts Council

For the past several years, the Fishers Arts Council has presented local artisans creating and selling their items at Fishers City Hall, 1 Municipal Dr., during Shop Fishers on Small Business Saturday. This year is no different.

The Fishers Arts Council artists will be working in City Hall Nov. 28 during the Shop Fishers event. The city encourages people to follow the face mask mandate while indoors. For more, visit thisisfishers.com/shop-fishers/.


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