Small businesses seek Saturday shoppers

Staff writer

[email protected]

Saturday more 100 businesses in Clovis and 40 in Portales will be open for business, observing Small Business Saturday, which gives area shoppers a chance to support locally owned businesses.

According to Dianna Thompson, marketing specialist for the New Mexico Small Business Development Center, Small Business Saturday is a national initiative to support local business owners in small towns across the county. Last year $5.7 billion dollars was spent at local businesses across the country.

In Portales, Prestige Carpets, Ace Hardware and Big League Sports will be among the stores open and hoping for business.

“We don’t really get a lot of customers this time of year,” said Chuck Abbott, owner of Big League Sports. “We do a lot of custom graphics work, but we’re a small business so we’re participating in the event and we hope people come out.”

Other small businesses that will be open Saturday include Victor’s Tire Shop, Valley Furniture, Herbert Kenneth Lumber and The Roosevelt Rose.

In Clovis, some of the businesses that will be open for Small Business Saturday include The Optical Center, The Cosigning Women Boutique and True Games Hobby Shop, which is having a sale as they move to a new location.

“The entire store is 20 % off,” said Jorden McEldowney the store’s owner. “We usually do pretty well on this weekend. People are doing their holiday shopping now so they buy board games and card games to use as stocking stuffers.”

This weekend the store will be moving to 701 Suite B North Prince Street in Portales. It will also be renamed the Panda and Penguin Game Lounge.

Bullet Bob Has It which sells vinyl records, furniture, vintage bicycles, Beatles memorabilia will be selling items up to 50% off. Bob Vilandry the owner, is hoping for a good turnout this year.

“It was a bit slow last year, but it wasn’t bad at all,” Vilandry said. “But we could always use more customers.