LINCOLN SQUARE — Customers took the message of Small Business Saturday to heart, with a number of Lincoln Square retailers reporting significant gains in sales the weekend after Thanksgiving as people responded to the call to "shop local," according to a report from the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce.
Mom and Pops' answer to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, sponsored by American Express, took place Nov. 29.
Recently released figures from the chamber show that the Chopping Block, 4747 N. Lincoln Ave., received the biggest boost in sales, posting a 62 percent jump versus 2013's small business push. Urban Pooch, 4501 N. Ravenswood Ave., had plenty to wag its tail about as well — sales increased 52 percent over 2013.
Patty Wetli says December sales can make or break a small business:
Other strong showings included 23 percent sales growth for Planet Access Company Store and 16 percent for Timeless Toys and Savory Spice Shop.
"Small Business Saturday shows that the local economy in Lincoln Square and Ravenswood is alive and well," Rudy Flores, the chamber's executive director, said in a statement.
This year, Lincoln Square's primary shopping strip was one of five chosen by AmEx for a "Main Street Makeover," yet another way to increase awareness of and generate interest in Small Business Saturday.
The chamber organized a tree lighting in Giddings Plaza for the makeover's official unveiling, and Mother Nature cooperated with unseasonably warm temperatures, translating into record crowds for the event, according to Flores.
To maintain the momentum from Small Business Saturday, the chamber is continuing its Unwrap Lincoln Square Ravenswood rewards program:
Through Dec. 24, spend $300 total at a minimum of three local businesses, turn in your receipts by Jan. 10 to the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, and if you're one of the first 150 people to hand in the paperwork, you'll get a $50 gift certificate to a neighborhood restaurant.
The boundaries for qualifying shops are Foster, Montrose, Ashland and the Chicago River.
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