Woodland Park Businesses and Groups Unite Together
~ by Trevor Phipps ~
Woodland Park’s version of “Small Business Saturday, immediately following “Black Friday,” turned into a huge success this year, with local businesses recording higher sales compared previous years.
More importantly, city leaders and business operators received raving reports about the fun atmosphere.
According to Main Street Coordinator Darlene Jensen, the Woodland Park Main Street Organization collaborated with local business to make the small business holiday a great success for 2018. “Woodland Park merchants had a fantastic Shop Small Saturday due in part to the work of Main Street and its partners, including the city, (Woodland Park) Chamber and (Downtown Development Authority) DDA, in getting the word out to the community and region,” Jensen said. “Some 150-plus folks visited the Shop Small booth next to Colorado Gearlab. The merchants at times had lines of customers waiting to check out.”
This year Main Street and several local businesses got together to make Small Business Saturday bigger and better than ever. Main Street set up in part of the plaza next to Colorado Gearlab, just off of Hwy. 24.
The organization gave out all of the bags they stocked up for gifts for the shoppers that stopped by the booth. The booth also offered shoppers coffee, hot chocolate and pastries to those wandering around the shops in downtown Woodland Park.
“This year we had the best Small Business Saturday,” said Main Street board member and booth volunteer Jan Wilson. “We had shoppers from Colorado Springs that said they came up to shop in Woodland Park because we were more fun.”
Many local businesses saw positive results, when they compared the numbers from their revenues on Small Business Saturday 2018, compared to the previous year. Tanner Coy, the president of Tweeds Fine Furnishings located in downtown Woodland Park, said that his store saw impressive revenues this year during the local shoppers’ holiday.
“Tweeds’ sales volume on Saturday was up 48 percent over Small Business Saturday last year,” Coy said. “And I know others were too!”
People shopping in the local stores enjoyed their experience so much, that they told many business owners and civic leaders how much of a good time they had. Woodland Park Mayor Neil Levy heard several people giving positive comments about their local Small Business Saturday experience.
“Small Business Saturday was a very impressive collaboration with real results,” the mayor said in an e-mail. “My biggest takeaway was merchants and patrons relating how much FUN they had.”
Once the summer season ended, many local businesses have seen a drastic drop in sales. The Small Business Saturday Holiday, however, did give local businesses a spike in sales before the upcoming winter season and proved to be a better payoff than the infamous Black Friday.
“Great work to all of the organizations and businesses involved,” said Woodland Park City Manager Darrin Tangeman. “This demonstrates what can be done when the community works together for a common cause.”
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