Holiday shoppers in Philadelphia downsize for Small Business Saturday

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Germantown Avenue in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia was bustling with holiday shoppers on Small Business Saturday 2021.

It's a day set aside to make sure small businesses aren't forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the season.

"I just think it's important to the economy, we all need it after the past year and a half that we had," said Randy Davis of Plymouth Meeting.

"As a small business, it means the world to us," said Andrew Domanski, the owner of The Little Gallery. "Hopefully a fairly busy Christmas and hopefully a successful month to tide us through those winter months when things are typically a little bit quieter."

Philip Dawson, Executive Director of the Chestnut Hill Business District, said the area has mostly recovered since 2020 but holiday shopping traffic is vital as stores continue to bounce back from the pandemic.

"Shopping at small businesses has a huge impact this time of year," said Dawson. "It filters down through the community, supports vendors that make things for them."

Mayor Jim Kenney stopped at the Breakfast Boutique and toured local shops, encouraging residents to support local business owners, who provide hundreds of jobs for the community.

"I think we're getting back to where we were," said Kenney. "We have some issues relative to a new variant that is apparently on the horizon so we'll work on that and we have confidence in our medical and science folks and we'll move forward. As long as everyone gets vaccinated, that's the most important part."

And despite concerns about supply chain shortages, with business owners forced to find workarounds, shoppers said it's nice to have personal relationships with storefronts and find the perfect gifts.

"There's just something nice about going to a store where you can get something that not everybody has and not the same things that everybody wears," said Aliza Rabinowitz of Abington.