Small Business Saturday Impact In Oklahoma City

Several local businesses set up pop-up shops in Midtown with a goal to attract holiday shoppers. Kelli Newsome is a co-owner of Common Dear. She said Small Business Saturday is a celebration of all the hard work of local business owners. 

“We were closed for eight months of the year and only online for that time. This year, we've had our vaccines, our boosters, and our flu shots and we're like let's get out and be a part of everything. It just feels really great. Everybody is just in a different mindset,” Newsome said. 

Newsome said this year she can finally breathe a sigh of relief. This year's Small Business Saturday is a time to commemorate the perseverance of small businesses but to reflect on the challenges along the way as well. 

“There are still a lot of long-term effects from the pandemic like the supply chain crisis and labor shortage so they're all still very much struggling,” Cleo Rojan, independent shopkeepers association executive director said. 

“There are still a lot of long-term effects from the pandemic like the supply chain crisis and labor shortage so they're all still very much struggling,” Rojan said. 

Business owners tell me shopping doesn't just benefit the store owner; it helps the entire community. 

“For every 100 dollars you spend at a locally owned business 68 dollars of that goes back into your own community and your economy. When you spend 100 dollars at a national chain only 43 dollars of that stays right here in Oklahoma City,” Rojan said. 

With that in mind, Newsome said it's important to shop local year-round, not just this weekend. 

“You get people that are just coming out because the event's happening so then while we're here then they discover you and you can direct them to our auto alley store which they can literally walk to. It's just a few blocks away,” Newsome said. 

Holiday Pop up shops will be here until December 19th and will feature over 40 local businesses. Each weekend will feature new businesses. Click here to find out the schedule.

okcpopups.com