The Greater Bakersfield Chamber, in collaboration with the city of Bakersfield and Kern Women’s Business Center, is launching a holiday campaign this Thanksgiving for Small Business Saturday.
The Shop Local, Shop Now campaign will start with a news conference Monday. The public is encouraged to attend and create a deeper connection with the Bakersfield community and local businesses.
“When people go to businesses, they don’t really associate that business with human beings. There is a disconnect,” said Joel Paramo, a publicist working with the chamber of commerce.
“When you buy from locally owned businesses,” he continued, “you are probably buying directly from that business owner, who is working in that shop, who picks items in that store because they know their customers. That’s the human connection.”
Small Business Saturday, spearheaded by American Express Co., is intended to promote holiday shopping on the Saturday following Thanksgiving and bolster local businesses.
This year, Small Business Saturday falls on Nov. 25, and the organizations involved locally urge Bakersfield residents to prioritize their holiday shopping at businesses around town.
The chamber said in a press release that this initiative provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen the community and uplift local businesses.
The press release added that buying local not only helps the community’s economy but also allows residents to choose products with a smaller environmental impact, less packaging waste and eco-friendly choices.
Chamber members’ businesses will provide the public what the campaign calls a “diversity of gifts” offering a wide variety of presents to make anyone’s holiday extra special. Paramo said these businesses prioritize personalized customer experiences with real human interaction.
“It’s all about the human experience, something that’s hugely missing in online shopping and that you can only get with small businesses,” Paramo said.
The chamber has established an online campaign hub at shoplocalshopnow.com. The goal is to facilitate easy access for local shoppers seeking retailers within the community and, more specifically, to simplify the process of finding any holiday gifts.
All are invited to the festively decorated fountain at the Brimhall Square Shopping Center at 11 a.m. to hear the announcement from Hillary Haenes, interim chamber president and CEO.
