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Small Business Saturday Brings Big Money Back to the Quad Cities

It’s Small Business Saturday, an initiative started by American Express in 2010 that helps attract more customers into shopping at their locally owned sto...

It's Small Business Saturday, an initiative started by American Express in 2010 that helps attract more customers into shopping at their locally owned stores; boosting the local economy.

“I think you find more unique things that other people wouldn't have and I don't like having the same things as everyone else,” said one local shopper, Bailey Higby.

Small businesses across the Quad Cities teamed up with the quad cities chamber of commerce to promote small business Saturday this year.

Quad City Organizations that participated in Small Business Saturday included the quad cities Chamber, Downtown Davenport Partnership, Moline Centre, Bettendorf Business Network, The District, Greater Quad cities Hispanic Chamber, Quad cities Convention and visitors Bureau, Silvis Business Association, and the village of East Davenport.

“I think we just need a reminder throughout the holiday season that yes, we do have a lot of options for our holiday shopping, but it's good to support those here locally,” said Kristin Glass, the Vice President of Member Relations for the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. “We know that if we spend $100 at a local retailer, $64 of that stays in our communities.”

It's a number that can't be ignored, and wasn't this year, when dozens of shoppers filled local stores for a little holiday shopping.

“I've seen an uptake especially today. We've had a lot of support from the community so it's been great. We'd love to see that all the time of course, but it's been an awesome day and we've had a lot of traffic,” said Tami Grady, owner of Freddy's Fritters Dog Bakery and Pet Boutique, located at 1111 Jersey Ridge Rd in the Village of East Davenport.

“This morning we opened up at 10:00, which is really our regular opening hour, however the ladies were just there, they were ready to come in,” said Lorena Bush, owner of Revolution in the Village, located at 2303 E 11th St #3 in the Village of East Davenport. “Immediately, like about a couple minutes after we opened, they were in.”

According to National Federation of Independent business and the small Business Administration, nearly 70 million shoppers spent $5.5 million at small, independent stores across the country on Small Business Saturday in 2013.

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