Wauwatosa Merchants Hope to Benefit from Small Business Saturday

With the busiest shopping season here, local businesses are hoping to get a boost from a national movement encouraging consumers to shop local.

This Saturday marks the second annual Small Business Saturday.

Throughout the nation, the number of locally owned businesses declined from 59 percent in 1990 to 48 percent in 2009, according to a report conducted by American Express OPEN.

To help more small businesses keep their doors open, American Express is offering incentives to people who shop local on Saturday. Card members who spend $25 or more at qualifying small businesses can earn a $25 statement credit.

More than 2 million people “like” the national event’s Facebook page and have joined the movement.

Med McKenna, executive director of the Wauwatosa Chamber of Commerce, said she is grateful when people shop local because the business owners have put their hearts into the community.

Among the people who fit that description is Lucia D’Acquisto, who is ready to share her “personal touch” with her new business, Luc’ias Woman’s Boutique on the corner of 68th Street and North Avenue.

Growing up in a family surround by entrepreneurs running small businesses, D’Acquisto knew one day she would like to open a store of her own and just two weeks ago her dream came true.

“A lot of my stuff is different than the average boutique,” D’Acquisto said. “Women are always looking into the details and I think my shop complements that.”

The woman’s boutique is a house for hats, jewelry, sweaters, scarfs and a selection of accessories appropriate for the season.

“I just want women to feel fun and sexy and pretty,” D’Acquisto said.

Local shops like Luc’ias Woman’s Boutique rely on the local community for business and in return add value to the local economic state.

“They are just not trying to make a profit,” McKenna said. “But rather share their merchandise and ideas.”

An advocate for small businesses herself, D’Acquisto understands the power of networking and creating bonds within the community.

“The biggest thing for me is that costumer service is missing at big stores right now,” she said. “I’m really trying to be a service for the costumer.”

Randall Hoth, president of the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau, said the organization also supports small local businesses because the owners often work directly with consumers and have a deep investment in the community.

Hoth said 90 percent of Wisconsin businesses that are accredited with the Better Business Bureau and pledge to uphold its code of ethics are small business owners with 25 or fewer employees.

“I think it’s a huge thing for the consumer to know that you’re doing business face to face with an owner that cares about your business,” Hoth said. “They’re the ones pledging to do the right thing for their customers.”