34 Fair Haven Merchants Invite Visitors to 'Shop Small'

635

By Christina Johnson |
FAIR HAVEN – When SadieJames boutique owner Chelsea Delaney talks about last year’s “Shop Small” promotion in Fair Haven, she recalls she had to step out of her shop.
“Last year was fantastic. I had to walk out of my store because there was so many people in it,” she recalls.
On Saturday, Nov. 24, the Fair Haven Business Association is hoping for the same buzz, biz and beautiful weather. Like last year, they are providing a bright red trolley with holiday tunes to shuttle shoppers to six stops along River Road and Fair Haven Road between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., in an effort to introduce their locally focused businesses and restaurants in the historic district and in the northern downtown area.
The participating merchants are also sponsoring a townwide breakfast-treat brunch, available at multiple locations on the loop. There will be sales, giveaways and raffles. Optimism for a great event is running high among the owners of the establishments who are prepping their stores to sell a wide variety of clothing, home décor, athletic wear, sporting gear, home furnishings, gifts, artwork, toys, books and more. One merchant racked up 300 sales in her shop last year, Delaney said, her best day ever.
The business community is hoping people discover Fair Haven’s easy parking, eclectic mix, and friendly customer service on this Small Business Saturday after Thanksgiving, promoted by American Express since 2010. As part of the event, all American Express card holders with a Fair Haven zip code received a reminder to shop small in their town on that day.
This is key, said Delaney, because after five years in business, shoppers keep telling her they never knew about her shop, located on busy River Road across from the Sickles School. “There’s a ton of people who don’t really shop in the downtown historic district,” she said.
The Knights of Columbus is also giving a boost to Fair Haven’s small businesses who would otherwise be invisible by offering spaces to vendors without storefronts. Trolley riders will get a chance to visit the mini expo on Fair Haven Road.
Delaney, who organized the event with Lisa Phillips of the Physhion boutique, said merchants will be delighted to welcome local customers into their stores. “There’s some really fun shops. It’s going to be fantastic,” she said.
For more information, including a tour map, visit infairhaven.com or facebook.com/fhbusiness.


This article was first published in the Nov. 15 – Nov. 21, 2018 print edition of The Two River Times.