Portion of proceeds to be donated to Los Angeles LGBT Center Culinary Arts Program.
As Thanksgiving slowly starts to recede into holidays’ past, it’s quickly becomes time to gear up for the next leg of the Holiday Season: Black Friday, Shop Small Saturday, Cyber Monday, Freak Out Tuesday, Where Is All My Money Wednesday… you get the picture. Whichever day you choose to observe, it is go time people!
Mass holiday shopping has officially begun and we’re already tired! The most popularized discount day is Black Friday. A shopping spree on steroids, Black Friday brings out some of the worst holiday spirit in folks. I mean, have you ever tried going shopping on Black Friday? Just don’t.
Might we suggest the West Hollywood Chamber’s Small Business Saturday event taking place tomorrow, November 30 instead? Think about it, you don’t have to wait in line overnight, people are mellow and friendly rather than frantically calling dibs on the last TV. It just makes sense, really.
Shop Small Saturday is an initiative founded in 2010 to negate the ugliness that is Black Friday.
“Shop Small is more than just the act of shopping at small businesses,” Tracy Paaso, the Membership Director WeHo Chamber of Commerce, said. “It’s a cause – one that supports local economies and promotes vibrant, diverse communities. And it’s a movement – fueled by individual shoppers, business owners, and organizers who encourage shopping at small businesses all year long because they know it matters. When you #shopsmall it makes a big impact, for every $1 spent at small businesses, 67 cents stays in the community.”
This year, a portion of the proceeds from participating retail stores and businesses will be donated to the Los Angeles LGBT Center Culinary Arts Program, an intergenerational training program for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness and low-income LGBT seniors.
“The LA LGBT Center has been a long time member of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber has a strong partnership in supporting their programs,” Paaso said. “The Chamber has worked closely with the Culinary Arts program to work with our local West Hollywood restaurants and hotels to place highly skilled graduates of this 300 hour culinary training program into the workforce.”
Shop Small Saturday will feature attendance by celebrities such was Wendy Burch from KTLA5, Robert Kovacik from NBC4, actor and writer Bruce Vilanch and Golden Globe-winning actress Elisabeth Rohm.
“West Hollywood is one of the most creative and innovative cities for business and every year we are excited to support our local businesses,” Paaso said. “This year we are highlighting several new businesses that have recently opened in the past year including Gelato Festival and Dogpound.”
For more info, visit wehochamber.com/shopsmall.html. Participating businesses include:
Atacama Home
B2V Salon
Block Party
The Bord Room Barber Shop
Candle Delirium
The Chad Allen Method
Chroma Studio
Coco Queen
Conservatory
Custom Comfort Mattress
Dogpound
Drip Doctors
Employees Only
Fred Segal
Gelato Festival
The Gendarmerie
Grande Maison
Jaffa
Kitchen24
Miniluxe
My 12 Step Store
NARS
Pura Vita
Pleasure Chest
Pura Vita
The Real Real
RYU (Respect Your Universe)
Shape House
Sunset Kids
Sutton
Temecula Olive Oil Company
Tom Tom
Unplug Meditation
Urth Caffe
Vanity Girl Hollywood
Voda Spa
Weho Bistro
Zen
