Businesses in West Baton Rouge Parish gear up for Small Business Saturday

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Small Business Saturday is all about buying from the shops near where you live.

A group of stores in West Baton Rouge Parish has set up a real-life Monopoly experience. Everyone who visits one of more than 50 participating businesses could win prizes as they shop.

Bella Grace Paper is one of the vendors where workers spent Black Friday stocking shelves and checking supplies. They are preparing for what they hope will be a never-ending flow of customers.

“It is the biggest shopping weekend of the year,” said Stacie Keller, owner of Bella Grace Paper.

She is passionate about how much small businesses contribute to the area’s economy.

“There is so much good stuff that is local that you don’t have to order online. When you support local, you also support your baseball teams and your high schools. We’re the people that give back to your community,” explained Keller.

The West Baton Rouge Parish Chamber of Commerce organized a committee of businesses to lift smaller stores and encourage people to shop locally.

“We’re in the mindset of community over competition, so when one wins, we all win,” said Annie Claire Bass, co-owner Sosis Boutique. “We work together on this day to make it a really big success.”

While area vendors are excited to welcome in-person shoppers, workers remind folks that they also offer deals online and through mobile apps.

“Don’t think that you have to go to a physical location when you’re in a pinch,” said Chelsey Blakenship, co-owner of Sosis Boutique. “A lot of small businesses are trying to compete in that online community, and we’re excited to be one of them.”

West Baton Rouge shoppers and businesses will celebrate this Small Business Saturday with an afterparty.

The community is invited to meet on Court Street in Port Allen. The party will feature live music, food trucks, outdoor bars, pop-up shops, and more.

For more information about the day and afterparty, please visit wbrsbc.com.

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