Today and WXYZ examine Small Business Saturday during the pandemic

Happy Small Business Saturday, a day I've been observing since 2011, the first year of this blog!* Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the day has added importance, as Today pointed out last week in Small Business Saturday Could Be The Lifeline Local Shops Need To Survive.

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, small businesses are struggling to keep their lights on — and Yelp says 60% of businesses that shut down during COVID-19 will remain permanently closed. As NBC’s Catie Beck reports for Weekend TODAY, Small Business Saturday could be the lifeline local shops and restaurants need to stay afloat.

I focus a lot on major retail and restaurant chains when I write my tales of the Retail Apocalypse, but permanently losing 60% of small business that shut down during the pandemic is at least as catastrophic; it's just that a national audience doesn't know the individual business like they do JCPenney, Sears, and KMart.

Today continued its coverage this morning with Best Ways To Shop Local On Small Business Saturday.

NBC News senior business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle joins Weekend TODAY with tips to shop on Small Business Saturday and support local businesses. One thing she suggests is buying gift cards for places like restaurants and yoga centers to be used later.

Stephanie Ruhle is right about the importance of small local businesses. When the current crisis is over, we will want them to be there when we need them.

That's the national story. Follow over the jump for the local one from WXYZ. I may have a national readership, but this is still a Metro Detroit-based blog.

As it has since at least 2015, WXYZ went to downtown Wyandotte for stories featuring local small businesses. Watch Small Business Saturday Wyandotte 1, the first of four segments broadcast this morning.


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Darren Cunningham and Syma Chowdhry returned in Small Biz Saturday Wyandotte 1.


Looks like Darren and Syma were enjoying themselves in this segment.

They continued with Small Business Saturday Wyandotte 2.


That store looks fun, if a bit woo-woo.

The series concluded with Small Biz Saturday Wyandotte 2.


I hope Nine Month Bump succeeds where Motherhood Maternity and A Pea in a Pod failed.

That's it for today's celebration. Remember, shop small and shop local!


*This puts it in the same class of second-tier special event as Earth Hour, the very first sustainability celebration I covered in this blog and one I've written about every year.