Knoxville’s local stores prepare for Small Business Saturday after a challenging year – Knoxville News Sentinel

November 23, 2021 Kim Martel

Local Knoxville businesses need support all year long.

But Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday, can provide a much-needed boost for business owners heading into the slow winter shopping season.

It’s an even more important day as brick-and-mortar businesses are feeling the impacts of COVID-19.

Jodi Eades, owner of Knoxville Soap, Candle & Gifts at 714 S. Gay St., said many small businesses rely heavily on holiday shopping to survive the winter months when bills increase.

“Because in the winter, when it’s cold outside, nobody walks around,” she said. “People hibernate. They don’t come downtown.”

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Her business, previously located in Fountain City and Bearden, sells a variety of local maker goods. Shopping at the store doesn’t just support Eades; it supports the local people who supply her inventory.

Jodi Eades told Knox News her Knoxville Soap, Candle & Gifts store relies heavily on holiday shopping to survive the winter months. The store is taking part in Downtown Knoxville Alliance's Peppermint Trail by offering gift sets with peppermint soaps, candles, lotions and edible spoons.

“I just take commission, which helps me to pay the rent,” she said. “So, we’re all here supporting each other. The high school teachers make the jewelry. I have an autistic potter. I have a nurse who makes candles.”

Selling goods provides supplemental income for the makers, she said, which can go toward dance lessons for their children or medical bills. But supporting local also helps makers “psychologically and in their heart,” Eades said, providing them with community connections and a creative outlet.

Knoxville support helps give back

Breyauna Holloway said her Clara's Closet and Crafts business on Magnolia Avenue has not been receiving the foot traffic she had hoped for since opening the business last Small Business Saturday. After not seeing support last year, Holloway is debating whether to open her doors this Small Business Saturday, happening Nov. 27 after Black Friday.

Community also is important for Breyauna Holloway, owner of Clara’s Closet and Crafts. She opened her brick-and-mortar thrift boutique at 2131 E. Magnolia Ave. last Small Business Saturday, hoping the holiday would inspire people to come out and shop local.

The support was not what she had hoped for.

“Things are still slow in the store, and so I’ve been really questioning everything for this past year,” she said.

The first year in business is always the most important, and starting Clara’s Closet during the pandemic came with its own set of challenges for the single mother of five.

“Part of my mission in starting my business was also to be able to give back to community-based nonprofits and organizations that I was either affiliated with or admired the work that they did,” she said. “And I cannot give back to them if I’m not generating enough revenue to sustain my household and my business.”

Nothing compares to shopping in store

Shopping local at Knoxville Soap, Candle & Gifts supports the makers who supply the inventory of handmade goods. Small Business Saturday is happening Nov. 27, one day after Black Friday, and is a time for Knoxvillians to support local stores that already are struggling with the impacts of COVID-19.

Eades and Holloway agree there’s something special about coming into a local store — smelling the candles and feeling the fabric. The decision is also a practical one, as it allows shoppers to sample before they buy something for themselves or as a gift.

Aside from the Christmas season, Eades sees a bump in sales around Valentine’s Day. For Clara’s Closet, the best time for in-store sales is around Mother’s Day.

Even Christmas has been slow for Holloway, who ran a promotion last year for ugly Christmas sweaters, giving $5 from every in-person sale to Austin-East Magnet High School. Sales still were stagnant.

Now, Holloway is weighing whether opening her doors is even worth it on Small Business Saturday. While she might open for a bit, her focus will be on reaching new clients at the Fountain City Lions Club Christmas Market.

Holloway also sells items online at etsy.com/shop/ClarasClosetCrafts.

‘See where your money is going’

While the Downtown Knoxville Alliance doesn’t have any Small Business Saturday promotions in the works, it hopes the Peppermint Trail campaign will drive consumers to downtown shops.

More than 80 downtown businesses are participating in the trail by offering holiday-inspired treats and gifts. The businesses are marked by peppermint decals on sidewalks, and signing up for a Peppermint Trail Pass allows people to win prizes for checking in at participating businesses.

“Some people aren’t ready yet,” Eades said about shopping during COVID-19. “My goal is to make it more of an experience. It’s an outing. It’s an entertainment. It’s something that you do because it’s fun.”

It’s also something you do to support your Knoxville neighbors, who are hoping to keep their businesses running for years to come.

“It’s very important that people come out and support me,” Holloway said. “When you shop small, you can really kind of see where your money is going, especially when you know the people.”