Have a Shopping Spree Party for Small Business Saturday

Why Small Business Saturday Calls for a Party

Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to support small businesses with your Christmas shopping the weekend after Thanksgiving. It’s a great (and beneficial) alternative to Black Friday’s rampant big box retail consumerism. It’s also prime opportunity for a shopping party! But this looks a little different than your average party. The main event is actually the shopping portion, which doesn’t involve any special input on your part other than facilitating the outing and being one of the drivers. The hosting portion occurs before you all leave to shop, and afterwards when everyone convenes back at your place to eat, gab and (optionally) drink. It’s the best way to end a day of small business-conscious shopping! So whatever small businesses you and your friends visit for your Small Business Saturday shopping spree, the party culminates back at your place for a good post-shopping meal.

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How to Throw a Small Business Saturday Shopping Party

1. Make Your Place Look Fun

There are no specific aesthetics for Small Business Saturday. Still, the look and feel of an environment feeds people’s mood. So to get everyone amped to go shopping, make your place look bright and fun! Any happy, playful decorations will create a festive air. And I’m talking inexpensive party basics like paper streamers and confetti – things you can find at a dollar store. For a fun shopping vibe, display colourful gift bags or paper shopping bags stuffed with bows, ribbons, or tissue paper. This isn’t the type of party you need to go all out on because the main focus is shopping, and that happens outside of your home. Everyone will be so excited with what they bought that they’ll simply appreciate hanging out together at your place to show off their finds and nosh. But small decorating efforts add the perfect touch, and friends will appreciate the enthusiastic atmosphere!

2. Prepare Food and Beverages

There are a couple of things to consider when planning what foods to serve after a Small Business Saturday shopping party. For one, friends will have recently indulged in Thanksgiving’s hearty array of rich and filling dishes. They may have also indulged at a Friendsgiving party, too. Consider also that December is just around the corner and the Christmas season will also provide plenty of tempting treats that are easy to indulge in this time of year. So everyone will probably appreciate a brief respite from all the heavier foods of the holiday season. But the other thing to consider is that you all will have just shopped ‘til you dropped, so people will be hungry! And to top it off, you won’t be hanging around the house all day where you can throw things in the oven earlier.

What can you serve that accommodates all of these situations? You need food options that are relatively refreshing and healthy but also hearty enough to satisfy a tummy that’s been running around all afternoon. And, these need to be things you can prepare in advance so there is minimal prep before serving as soon as you get home. Your best bet is to prepare healthy dishes ahead of time that can be frozen or refrigerated and then successfully reheated when you’re all home and it’s time to eat. Just a few good ones will do; anything else can be simple appetizers like cheese, crackers and snackable produce. Most people are happy with any of the above when there’s wine. Here are a few creative ideas that are nutritious, satiating, and easy to prepare in advance and serve later!

• Tortilla chips and guacamole
• Vegan chili
• Pasta salad
• Egyptian egg salad
• Dried fruit salad

3. Get Into the Shopping Spirit with an Energizing Playlist

Get everyone ready for a shopping party with fun, upbeat music! When guests initially arrive at your house to convene before your Small Business Saturday shopping spree, play some happy, energizing tunes to boost the positive mood and get everyone psyched to go out and stimulate the economy by supporting small businesses.

Whatever genre you and your friends enjoy, just pump up the tunes! Of course, unless you want to encourage a pre-shopping dance party, keep the volume low enough for normal conversation. But music that makes anyone want to dance is a winner! If you need help with pre-shopping playlist ideas, mix it up with popular French pop artists and play a Coeur de pirate playlist or Alizée playlist. When you come home to eat after shopping, keep the music vibe upbeat and fun while everyone eats, but feel free to take it down a notch so everyone can relax and enjoy the meal. (Just don’t play anything so relaxing that people want to fall asleep!)

4. Add Pleasant Scents

Light any refreshing candles to create a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere in your home when you get in from shopping. (And it goes without saying: wait until you get home to light the candles!) These scented woodwick soy candles come in a large variety of scents, including at least 8-10 delicious autumn/winter seasonal ones.

5. Establish Guest Participation

A Small Business Saturday shopping party will require guests to volunteer to drive each other, depending on how many come and how big everyone’s vehicles are. If you happen to own, say, a 6-passenger van and invite 6 friends, then no other drivers are needed, of course! But if more than 6 friends are coming or you have a smaller vehicle, you’ll need to let guests know that they should at least be willing to drive. Not everyone owns a car, so you’ll need people who do to be prepared to drive others as needed. Of course, no drivers are needed if your city has adequate public transportation infrastructure! Just  make sure guests remember their transit passes.

Checklist of Items You Need for Your Shopping Party

This is a list of all of the physical things you need for this party:

1. Basic fun/colourful party decor: shopping bags, tissue paper, paper streamers, confetti, etc.
2. Foods and drinks to share
3. Fun playlist and speakers
4. Pleasant scented candle(s)
5. Car(s) that you and/or your friends can drive, or adequate public transporation

Checklist of Preparations for Your Shopping Party

1. First, establish that your efforts aren’t in vain by confirming that people can come on any chosen date:

1. Choose party date/time, and preferably alternative date(s) as well
2. Choose guest list and establish minimum number of guests you’d like (to make it worth your effort). Prioritize friends who love to shop!
3. Six weeks out, confirm guests’ interest in the party and availability on chosen party date(s)
4. If your preferred minimum number of guests confirm interest and availability, have them secure calendar date for your awesome Small Business Saturday shopping party!

2. Then, proceed with the fun planning!

1. Schedule time on your calendar for each step of party prep (decorating and securing/making food)
2. Create invitations with all of the details and send them out 4 weeks before the party
3. Order any party supplies and decorations 3 weeks out (so they arrive in time to prepare and set up)
4. Shop for any party supplies/decorations you don’t order online, as well as non-perishable food/drinks
5. In your planned time slots, acquire perishable food/drinks early enough in advance to prepare in time
6. In your planned time slots, set up/decorate with any supplies and decorations
7. In your planned time slots, prepare food/drinks (depending on how long things keep)

3. Day of Party (in your amply planned time slot):

1. Complete any last-minute food/drink prep that’s too fresh to do any earlier
2. Set up any quick/easy last-minute supplies and decorations you didn’t want up before
3. Prepare ambience (music both before and after shopping, and candles after shopping)
4. Get dressed in your favourite shopping party outfit! And wear COMFORTABLE SHOES
5. Once everything’s ready, meditate or do your preferred self-care to get in a good head space if you aren’t already. You want to be centered, happy and energized. Your guests will pick up on your contagiously good vibe and automatically be happier as well – everybody’s best interest!

Remember, you’re not only providing a fun and light-hearted event for your friends, but you’re also helping small businesses which make up a crucial part of our economy. Small businesses = hardworking humans with families. You are stimulating the human economy – and having fun, too!