LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Despite a big time rivalry game hitting the airwaves Saturday, shoppers still managed to make their way out to Shop Small.
"Small Business Saturday is a little different with it being a noon game, but still [there's] plenty of people out supporting local, supporting small business and NuLu's popping," Katie Meinhart said. "I think we're a good Metropolis for shopping small with all the small businesses down here."
Meinhart, president of the NuLu Business Association, said seven new businesses have opened in the neighborhood in the past year. Also the owner of NuLu Boutique Six Sisters, Meinhart said revenue at her store is up 22% in 2023, so far.
Come March 2024, her business will be expanding, she said, to a new men's store opening on East Market Street.
According to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales for 2023 are expected to increase between 3% and 4% over 2022, with shoppers spending between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion in November and December of this year.
According to the Louisville Metro Goverment website, it provides jobs and stability for families, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the jobs in the city's workforce.
"I give back to my children's schools; I give back to the music program, because that's what's near and dear to my heart here in Louisville," Meinhart said. "So a lot of that money goes back into our community."
Stephanie Gallaher, from Ashland, Kentucky, said supporting small businesses are "absolutely important."
"[Our family] ran a small business for like, 45 years," she said. "So I know how important it is that people support you. And it's hard to do nowadays sometimes, but I think this is great for the community."
Gallaher and her former college roommate, Rita Strossber, hit the NuLu shops while Gallaher's son and husband watched the game inside L&N Stadium.
"I just like to support our local businesses; Amazon won't like this--but I don't shop [on] Amazon very much," Strossber said. "You have [a] more personal connection."
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