Shop Local!

Support locally-owned, independent businesses on Small Business Saturday

Local First Arizona is creating a superhero-themed day of holiday shopping named SUPER! Small Business Saturday, in partnership with the Fourth Avenue Merchants Association and in conjunction with the Free Modern Streetcar Day. This event takes place in Haggerty Plaza (316 N. Fourth Ave.) and will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25. Admission is $5 (children under age 5 will receive free admission).

SUPER! Small Business Saturday will feature many activities for all ages as well as great holiday shopping opportunities. Here's a few of the main features:

FAMA will be designing and printing a special passport for guests to collect at least $50 in receipts from Fourth Avenue Merchants. Guests with a valid passport will be entered for a special prize drawing.

Toys Ink will be providing superhero workshops for youth, including building an action figure, making a superhero snack, and taking a photo with one of their staff dressed as a variety of superheroes.

Food Conspiracy Co-op will have a booth on superfoods and will bring their carrot costume out to be dressed as a Superfood Hero, among other activities.

Other vendors that will be present include your favorite Fourth Avenue Merchants.

And you'll find limited-edition capes for all attendees (while supplies last).

Small Business Saturday started as an effort to encourage people to support small businesses after the Black Friday shopping rush. With SUPER! Small Business Saturday, we want to make it as fun and easy as possible for Tucsonans to support their favorite Fourth Avenue businesses. We're also reminding Tucson how much our local businesses do for the community throughout the year and that these businesses provide the best options and customer service for everyone's holiday-shopping needs.

A recent survey report from the Advocates for Independent Business, with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, summarized the changing retail landscape and its impact on locally-owned independent businesses. As there has been a significant amount of reporting about national chains declaring bankruptcy, malls going dark and the rise of e-commerce, the survey's findings show that the "retail apocalypse" is in fact playing out differently for independents than it is for chains.

For instance, a majority of survey respondents say they see opportunities for independents in widespread chain store closures, and two-thirds say they're weathering the retail storm as well as or better than national chains are. Events like SUPER! Small Business Saturday showcase the distinct strengths of independents in advance of the holiday shopping season and help locally-owned businesses be more resilient than chains.

Local First Arizona is focused on creating a diverse and inclusive economy, and supporting locally-owned independent businesses is central to our mission. Studies have shown that up to four times more money stays in the local economy when individuals make the choice to buy from a locally-owned business rather than a chain store.

If a community the size of Tucson shifted 10 percent of its spending from non-local to local businesses, the shift would have an impact of 1,600 new jobs, $53 million in new wages and $130 million in total economic impact. By shifting as much of your holiday spending to local businesses as possible, you'll be spreading holiday cheer far and wide as your dollars will be invested directly in the Tucson community.