LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — The holiday season is here, and customers are scooping up the best bargains they can find.
Small Business Saturday is crucial for locally-owned shops in Lackawanna County.
Theresa Stuckart has been running New Laundry in Scranton for seven years. She always expects a rush on the big day.
"We're consistently busy. A lot of people make an effort to come in and shop in all the stores in Downtown Scranton. It's always a great day; it's always a busy day, and one that I look forward to," said Stuckart.
Unlike last year, Stuckart says more customers have been showing up to her door - picking out sweaters, dresses, and jewelry.
"People are going places; they need new clothes. They want to be out, they want to touch it, they want to try it. I've definitely seen an increase in business for the fall and holiday. Especially this past week, with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday," said Stuckart.
The holiday decorations are on full display at Fabulous Finds of All Kinds in Olyphant, as customers search for that certain something.
"I think people are a little bit more open to going out and purchasing things and hopefully getting offline and not buying so much off of Amazon. There's so many unique things here that people don't realize we have," said Mary Capone with Fabulous Finds of All Kinds.
"Small Business Saturday is so important because we're really the cornerstone of the community," said Kim Evans, owner of The Kimmy Boutique.
Dozens of customers browsed the clothing selection at The Kimmy Boutique in Olyphant. Owner Kim Evans says shopping small this holiday season helps strengthen the local economy and revitalize communities after a challenging year.
"People were really eager to shop small and local more than ever before because they know how hard we had it last year," said Evans.
Every bag full of merchandise means more gifts under the tree and a happier holiday for business owners.
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