GREENFIELD — Downtown Greenfield is more vibrant than it’s been in years, officials say. And with a little help from a supportive community during the holiday season, they’re aiming to keep it that way.
Greenfield Main Street will celebrate Shop Small Saturday this weekend, during which more than 16 merchants downtown will participate in a project that aims to encourage residents to shop at small retailers and dine at locally owned restaurants, said Shelley Swift, Greenfield Main Street executive director. Holiday passports, special deals and shopping guides will be available to shoppers as they purchase gifts in the city’s historic downtown, Swift said.
The federal Small Business Administration, in partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, honored the city last week with the Small Business Saturday Supporter award after its growth over the past five years, said Stacey Poynter, Indiana district director for the Small Business Administration. Greenfield was one of three cities in the state to receive the honor, along with Evansville and Corydon, he said.
Shop Small Saturday is a nationwide movement focused on supporting communities by encouraging residents to patronize locally owned businesses as the holiday season kicks off, Poynter said.
The holiday season is a key time for retailers. So-called “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” pulled in an estimated $11 billion in 2017, according to a report on CNN. But Small Business Saturday — nestled in between the two giant shopping days — is shoppers’ chance to lend support to independent small businesses, which are the lifeblood of the economy, Poynter said.
“We love going out to small towns and seeing what you all have to offer,” Poynter said. “Greenfield has a bright, vibrant Main Street community. You have all these wonderful places, and we want to highlight that.”
The Small Business Administration contacted Greenfield Main Street after learning about the growth of the downtown district in the past five years, said Mayor Chuck Fewell. Nearly all of the historic buildings along Main Street downtown are now occupied with shopkeepers and restaurants, he said.
Shop Small Saturday will also be an opportunity to show residents the improvements the city has made, the mayor said. {span}Greenfield was one of three cities in 2016 that received a $500,000 Main Street Revitalization Program grant for facade restoration from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. An additional $200,000 matched the state grant from city funds, donations from the community and contributions from property owners. Now t{/span}he city has made $700,000 in facade improvements, Fewell said. While people shop and eat downtown, they might notice the storefronts’ bigger windows, freshly painted trim and cleaned-up exteriors.
“You’ve got to look at how far we’ve come,” Fewell said. “Think about what we have to offer: Four eateries downtown now that people can go to. While they’re waiting to do that, they can shop at these boutiques, they can go to the candy store. We really want more people to come downtown.”
Saturday will kick-start the small-business holiday season and serve as a celebration for the community, said Denna Gundrum, owner of Penny’s Florist. Gundrum was an instrumental force in bringing Small Business Saturday to Greenfield.
Penny’s Florist, 1311 W. Main St., will serve as a welcome center for participating shoppers, giving away free canvas bags with special offerings from participating retailers while supplies last, Gundrum said.
Gundrum also plans to place about 400 balloons around the city advertising the shop-small campaign, she said. She wants to do everything she can to encourage shoppers to support their local businesses this year.
“We’ve got so much going on this year, it’s incredible,” Gundrum said with a smile.
Greenfield Chocolates will offer expanded samplings and holiday specials beginning on Shop Small Saturday, said owner Jayne Hoadley. Shoppers will have a chance to buy novelty items like Santa heads made out of Belgian chocolate or massive ornaments stuffed with candy, she said.
Other small cities might celebrate the presence of one or two small-town stores, but Greenfield is proud to have several, Swift said. That’s what the day is all about.
“Why would you want to go to a crowded mall in the chaos of all the holiday shopping when you could come to the beautifully decorated historic downtown?” Swift said.
“You have so many friendly shop owners who are truly invested in the products they sell and the services they provide,” she added. “As opposed to just going to a big box store you can go to in any other city in America, there’s only one downtown Greenfield, Indiana. And we get to embrace that.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Coming up” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
People who patronize local businesses in the Shop Small initiative this year will be helping more than just the small business. As part of a related campaign called "We’ve Got Your Back," businesses are highlighting the contributions they make to nonprofits in the community. An upcoming story will look at the program and explain how you can help.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
