Small Business Saturday: Help Them Stay Afloat In Woodbridge

Carly Baldwin
Updated ·2 min read

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Small businesses have been the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, making Small Business Saturday 2020 (Nov. 28) more vital than ever.

Independently owned boutiques, gift shops, mom-and-pop stores and restaurants in Woodbridge are facing unprecedented challenges due to coronavirus-related restrictions and shutdowns.

Sixty-two percent of small businesses in the United States need to see sales income return to the same rate it was pre-pandemic before the end of the year to stay in business, according to American Express. These businesses, many family-owned, were already fighting for survival against malls, big box stores and online retailers before the pandemic.

Small Business Saturday is organized by American Express, and here are some of the Woodbridge businesses participating:

  • Il Castellos Restaurant 81 Main St Woodbridge, New Jersey

  • The J J Bitting Brewing Company 33 Main St Woodbridge, NJ

  • Big Shots Restaurant & Lounge 780 Route 1 Iselin, New Jersey

  • Ristorante Venezia 112 Main St Woodbridge, New Jersey

  • La Bonbonniere Bake Shoppe 356 Amboy Ave Woodbridge, New Jersey

  • Surrender Cafe 695 Amboy Ave Woodbridge, New Jersey

  • Woodbridge Bowling Center 346 Main St Woodbridge, NJ

  • San Remo Pizza 87 Main St, Ste 3 Woodbridge, New Jersey

  • Cafe 90 90 Woodbridge Center Drive Woodbridge, New Jersey

These are just some of the small businesses participating. For a full list, go here: https://www.americanexpress.co...

Temporary closures, capacity restrictions, decreased demand for products and services and delays due to supply-chain issues have led to unprecedented challenges for small-business owners. But the "Shop Small" movement continues amid these hardships.

Since 2010, local business supporters have spent more than $100 billion on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express.

A Shop Small Consumer Impact survey from American Express before the pandemic found that 73 percent of people think empty storefronts are a national issue, and 84 percent agree the increase in empty storefronts and the closing of small, independently owned businesses negatively affect their local communities.

The survey showed that when consumers are aware of the impact of spending their dollars locally, 75 percent said they would be more likely to purchase a product or service from small, independently owned businesses.

For every dollar spent at a U.S. small business, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community, according to American Express. This helps independent shops and restaurants keep their doors open and meet pay for their workers — your neighbors.

That amounts to about $67 billion that has stayed in local communities since Small Business Saturday began, according to American Express.

This article originally appeared on the Woodbridge Patch