Small businesses gear up for holidays

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - They were jazzing things up just in time for Santa's arrival at the Broadway Market Friday as businesses try to get shoppers back to spending their hard earned dollars locally and at small businesses.

According Shawn McCabe, Salesperson for Buffalo Fleece and Outerwear, "From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., we opened at 8, we had people, I guess customers coming in and getting their punch cards stamped and checking out the stores."

Elmwood Village stores kicked off the day with their second annual Boutique Crawl as they gear up for another important day, Small Business Saturday.

"I'll come down to Elmwood to go to Blue Mountain Coffee, Everything Elmwood, before I'll go to the Galleria and fight the crowds any day of the week," said Mary Ernest, an Elmwood Village Shopper.

And shop co-owner Tim Doolittle from Artisans' Hands is seeing results.

"They like the things that we have in here. We're associated with 10,000 Villages and they're spending. And if they haven't, they said they'll be back. Which is good."

Even the Broadway Market is trying to beef up Christmas traffic and sales.

"We have Kriskindlemart. Something we started a few years ago. It runs every Saturday through Christmas," said Chris Byrd, a Volunteer Coordinator for the Broadway Market.

Additional vendors have set up shop in the market through the holiday season, in addition to the traditional Polish foods. You can buy Christmas flowers and wreaths from the ladies from Corpus Christi or even check out some very affordable gifts.

According to Jean Rew, a vendor at the market, "My niece does a great business here with her jewelry. Everything is a dollar, so a lot of people come in and pick out different things. Small gifts for mom and dad."

"We were born in the area and we haven't been back here. This is actually the first time that I've been here," added Becky Owczarzak a market shopper from Richmond, Connecticut.

We couldn't but wonder if anyone that we spoke to Friday was anyone standing in line at the big box stores last night?

"Absolutely not...I was home sleeping in my bed," Rew said.