Rain or Shine,Holiday Shoppers Show Up For Deals

A little drizzle didn’t drown out downtown and other small businesses for Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Small Business Saturday’ event.

Just in time for a little holiday shopping, area businesses put on sales the Saturday after Thanksgiving in an effort to encourage folks to shop locally for Christmas.

Upon opening the entry door, a steady buzz could be heard sounding off from a tiny, hidden corner of a downtown store. It was the sound of Terri Rutland, hard at work in her sewing station where she carefully constructed monogram orders for loyal customers.

Longtime owner/operator of Atlanta small business ‘Terri’s Treasures’, Rutland offered a blanket 20 percent discount on all items. ‘Terri’s Treasures’ is celebrating 25 years in business, operating as a staple in the community when it comes to buying adorable—yet affordable—baby’s and children’s boutique items.

If you’re from the area and you’ve ever expected a little one, you’ve probably registered with Terri’s.

“We are always excited to participate in events like Small Business Saturday,” Rutland said, as she took a quick break from her work.

Flint’s Furniture and Appliances, as well as Flint’s Outlet, offered a 20 percent store-wide discount; Frayed was said to be offering refreshments and up to 50 percent discounts; Cobblestone offered 20 percent off the Kendra Scott line of jewelry; JB’s Authentic Taco Kitchen offered $1 off any cheeseburger combo, as well as a buy-three-get-one-free deal on tacos; H&P Custom Designs were hosting other small businesses in their shop while offering a 25 percent discount for all H&P’s items; along with several other small businesses participating in and around Atlanta.

Paco and Walter, the ‘bistro birds’ happily greeted customers who entered Melissa Smith’s thrift and coffee shop, where some folks sat to chat, while others combed the shop for deals.

Melissa Smith, who runs Ole Rustic Treasures was busy with the Hiram Street store, while her Estate Barn, just around the corner and next to Luigi’s restaurant, was having a liquidation sale—75 percent off everything but some of the furniture.

“What’s left, I plan to bring back over here,” she said, speaking of her Hiram shop, which also operates as a bistro and serves coffee. Smith offered a little bit of everything, from unique ceramic silhouetted planters of fairies and mermaids both in and just outside on the porch area, to American flags, books, and an eclectic selection of decorative antique bottles from all over the world.

Nearby, at the Estate Barn, one customer said she was getting just about all her Christmas shopping finished in that store alone, where the deals were through the roof.

“Oh, honey I’m buying a little bit of everything,” she said, as she flipped through a book from the old bookshelf she’d been examining. She was determined to canvas every nook and cranny of the Estate Barn– inside and out—And rightly so; Everything in the store was 75 percent off.

She even once took a break before coming back in to shop for more Christmas gifts, kindly tallying out so another customer could pay for their things.

“I’m thrifting this Christmas,” another customer said, seemingly echoing the sentiment of everyone concerned with the state of the economy and the rising costs of staples items like milk and bread.

Keep in mind that all our small businesses are still open throughout the week, with varied hours. One can never go wrong with a stroll down Main Street to check out area stores like Camelot Manor, Rock A Boutique, Cafe Crema, and more before making the block over near William and Hiram Streets. For a small town, Atlanta has a lot to offer in terms of unique, quality items.