Small Business Saturday is Tracy Alaia’s favorite day of the year.
“It’s so nice to see the community out and support all these great little businesses,” said Alaia, 52, of Level Green, who owns Feathers Gift Shop in Irwin.
Created by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday takes place each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in an effort to drive more support and shopping toward local businesses, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In Irwin, tradition has brought the community together.
“Irwin has a lot to offer,” Alaia said. “Between the shops, the boutiques, the restaurants – it’s a hidden gem.”
With temperatures chilling in the 20s, she said foot traffic was a little slower than usual Saturday morning.
“People are just happy; they are out and about, families grabbing lunches, coffees; it’s good to see everyone together,” Alaia said. “It’s been steady since then, but I think it’s as cold as people expected.”
Small Business Saturday gives Feathers Gift Shop and other local establishments a way to get noticed, she said.
“People bring relatives, friends and family,” Alaia said. “I’ve had a lot of customers who have never been to Irwin before, so that’s good.”
Robyn Tedesco, owner of The Line Boutique, said local business owners hope to draw people back to town after seeing what Irwin has to offer on Small Business Saturday.
“It really brings out the community to support all the local shops,” she said. “Sometimes people didn’t even know our store was here, but they come out to ‘Small Business’ and walk around town. And we hope to bring them back again.”
Tedesco, of North Huntingdon, said she was surprised to see how many people were coming into her store despite the cold weather.
“It’s always a concern — you never know what the weather is going to hold,” she said. “People are still coming out in droves.”
If they didn’t want to brave the cold, people could also shop online, Alaia said.
“I think you have an experience when you go to a boutique and a small shop. It’s more like an event – and people lose themselves when they’re here,” Alaia said.
She said she has gained friendships by talking to customers.
“Anyone can sit at home and order from their phone; but going out, you know people,” Alaia said.
Alaia and other local small business owners like Ron Palarino stay in touch throughout the year and wished each other good luck Saturday morning before the busy day ahead.
“We all get along really well,” said Palarino, 58, of Irwin, who owns Gift Basket World & Candy Shop with Sarris Candy. “We talk, we help each other. … And that’s what’s really nice about the small businesses in downtown Irwin — that we’re all one big happy bunch.”
Palarino said he saw a large number of people show up for Small Business Saturday starting at 1 p.m., which was similar to previous years.
“I thought the cold would scare them away, but … people are out,” he said. “They got their hot chocolate and hot coffees and they’re walking around.”
Small Business Saturday allows local Irwin businesses to increase their sales each year, Palarino said, and he noted the high holiday spirit, as holiday-themed music is played in stores.
Both Palarino and Alaia said storefronts are rarely open before a new business claims a vacant spot in Irwin.
Foot traffic from events in downtown Irwin helps drive sales, and Palarino said he believes shopping in Irwin is on the rise.
“I’m an online shopper myself, but I see that people are coming and the last two years it hasn’t dropped for us,” he said. “It’s also how we market and treat people here.”
As a local realtor in Irwin, Theresa Simonetta came out Saturday to support the community.
Simonetta, 48, of North Versailles, who works as a realtor at Century 21 Fairways Real Estate, said she did some big shopping on Black Friday. But on Saturday in Irwin, she was able to receive more personal gifts.
Although Irwin isn’t always her shopping destination, Simonetta said she enjoys coming during the holidays.
“Just to come in and have the individual store experience, you don’t get the daily hustle and bustle of the big box stores,” she said. “Everyone is just trying to make a living and it’s great to support those who want to stay and are committed to the city.”
Despite the cold weather, Simonetta and other shoppers like Sue Sula weren’t deterred from coming out for Small Business Saturday.
“I’m wearing a warmer coat,” said Sula, 68, of Monroeville.
She owns Artex Designs, a custom clothing printing and embroidery business in Monroeville.
“Myself, I own a small business in Monroeville, so I’m all about giving back to small businesses,” Sula said.
Irwin is a town she said she enjoys visiting.
“I love this little town,” Sula said. “We just enjoy the quirkiness of it – you can walk around, and everyone is so friendly.”
Alaia said he hopes shopping at Irwin will grow even more in popularity moving forward.
“Small towns are wonderful,” she said. “It’s a nice place to go, eat, stroll and meet friends and find unique gifts.”
Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full-time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.