Between blockbuster Black Friday sales and bulk ordering on Cyber Monday, shoppers-in-lieu have yet another day of spending.
On Small Business Saturday, which falls two days after Thanksgiving on Nov. 30, people are encouraged to visit their neighborhood mom-and-pop shops to promote shopping locally, rather than at major department stores or online retailers, which are usually shown much love on Friday and Monday following the holiday.
Tiffany Keriakos, owner of UES shop Designer Revival, told The Post that small businesses are “the backbone” of the Big Apple. Emmy Park for NY PostFounded in 2010 by American Express, Small Business Saturday began to support communities after the recession. Just last year, consumers reported a whopping $17 billion spent at tiny shops, and, since its inception, Small Business Saturday has brought in a total of $201 billion in revenue.
After the COVID-19 pandemic upended mom-and-pops around the city and resulted in thousands shuttering for good, it is important — now more than ever — to shop local.
“It’s such an important part of the city, and it really, I think, is the backbone of the city,” Tiffany Keriakos, owner of the Upper East Side consignment retailer Designer Revival, told The Post, adding that there are fewer small businesses in the city as a result of various hardships like crime and COVID.
Here, The Post has rounded up some local mom-and-pops across the boroughs ahead of Small Business Saturday.
Upper East Side
Designer Revival is hosting a sip and shop for Small Business Saturday. Emmy Park for NY PostUptown, shoppers can purchase pre-loved clothing from the Niche Shop or shop consignment at Designer Revival, which is hosting an all-day sip-and-shop event on Saturday.
“We really take pride in being a local business and being able to support our local community,” Keriakos said, emphasizing that small businesses are an asset to the city.
At Rita’s Needlepoint, crafty customers shop a wide array of yarns in various colors for their next needlepoint project. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.PostThere’s also Mary Arnold Toys, which has been in business for almost a century and is a cornucopia of games, dolls, toys and books galore, making it the perfect pit stop when shopping for stocking stuffers or other holiday gifts.
You can also make your Saturday a little sweeter — and boozier — at Spoonable Spirits, a business dedicated to alcohol-infused pudding and jellos.
And, down the street, crafty consumers itching for a new project can stop by Rita’s Needlepoint, founded in 1973 by Rita Klein, who set up shop in the Big Apple after moving from Paris. Although she retired in 2019, the store still serves the artistic community on the UES.
Mary Arnold Toys has been serving the local community for decades. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post
At the Lexington Avenue toy shop, shoppers can pick the perfect gift for a young family member. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.PostThe Niche Shop: 311 E. 81st St., http://thenicheshop.co/
Designer Revival: 324 E. 81st St., https://www.designerrevival.com/
Mary Arnold Toys: 1178 Lexington Ave., http://www.maryarnoldtoys.com/
Rita’s Needlepoint: 303 E. 81st St., https://www.ritasneedlepoint.com/
Lower East Side
Head to Sweet Pickle Books to swap used literature for a jar of salty, savory dills, or shop for a new read. Emmy ParkHead south to satiate your sweet tooth at the legendary Economy Candy, a NYC mainstay since 1937, and satisfy your inner bookworm by purchasing a new novel from Sweet Pickle Books — a store overflowing with used books that slyly sells both of the goodies that make up its name. If you’re hankering for something salty and savory, donate a tome from your personal library in exchange for — you guessed it — pickles.
Down the block, there’s November 19, a home goods and apparel store, or the boutique and studio owned and operated by Pamela Barsky, a designer known as “the original New York bag lady.” There, fashionistas can buy one of her famed, slogan-adorned pouches or totes.
Economy Candy has been a longtime pillar of the LES community, offering a wide variety of confections for locals with a sweet tooth. Helayne SeidmanEconomy Candy: 108 Rivington St., https://www.economycandy.com/
Sweet Pickle Books: 47 Orchard St., http://www.sweetpicklebooks.com/
November 19: 37 Orchard St., http://www.november19market.com/
Pamela Barsky Boutique & Studio: 147 Orchard St., http://pamelabarsky.com/
West Village
At Waverly Leather, Sam, “The Leather Man,” boasts a collection of leather goods, bags and more. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.PostOn the other side of town, the West Village is the perfect place for avid thrifters to get their fix at vintage hotspots like Screaming Mimis or Madame Matovu — or fashionistas can score affordable luxury at the sample sale haven Clever Alice.
Leather lovers, however, can head to Waverly Leather, which is dedicated to hand-crafted pieces from briefcases and backpacks to messenger satchels and totes.
Those in the mood for some light reading can snag a glossy periodical or the day’s newspaper from Casa Magazines, the neighborhood’s celebrity-beloved newsstand that offers thousands of titles for every interest. Those with beloved furry friends they want to immortalize can even commission a pet portrait from Mimi Vang Olsen, a famed artist who operates out of her studio on Hudson Street.
Pick up a periodical at Casa Magazines while on the way to your next stop on Small Business Saturday. Tamara Beckwith/N.Y.Post
Pet lovers can commission a portrait of their furry friend from Mimi Vang Olsen. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.PostScreaming Mimis: 240 W. 14th St., http://www.screamingmimis.com/
Madame Matovu: 240 W. 10th St.
Clever Alice: 87 Christopher St., https://www.cleveralice.com/
Waverly Leather: 33 Greenwich Ave., http://www.waverlyleather.com/
Casa Magazines: 22 8th Ave.
Williamsburg
By Liv is a Brooklyn gem boasting handmade garments and ethically sourced pieces. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post
Oliva Reinertson’s clothing racks at her storefront are bursting with flowing gowns. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.PostCross the East River into Brooklyn and visit the stalls of local creatives who have set up shop inside Artists and Fleas, a bazaar comprised of more than 50 vendors with a mission of bolstering business for small shops.
If you’re on the market for new furniture, browse the array of pieces at the Dobbin St. Vintage Co-Op, or shop the options for home goods at Leif. Then, there’s By Liv, a clothing shop that specializes in sustainable garments made from recycled materials and sells vintage items and pieces from independent designers.
At Friends NYC, shoppers can indulge in holiday spending by growing their ornament collection or purchasing gifts. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.PostIf you’re in the mood for gift shopping, head out to East Williamsburg to Friends NYC, a curated hodge-podge of homeware, smoking essentials, candles and accessories.
While taking a break to enjoy a freshly baked item from Settepani Bakery, dig into a book from Quimby’s Bookstore, where visitors are inundated with an eclectic collection of zines, novels and other curious items.
Satiate that sweet tooth with a bakery item from Settepani Bakery, owned and operated by father-daughter duo Nino and Bilena Settepani. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.PostArtists & Fleas: 70 N. 7th St., https://www.artistsandfleas.com/williamsburg/
Dobbin St. Vintage Co-Op: 39 Norman Ave., http://dobbinstcoop.com/
Leif: 99 Grand St., https://www.leifshop.com/
By Liv: 293 Manhattan Ave., http://bylivhandmade.com/
Friends NYC: 56 Bogart St., https://friendsnyc.com/
Settepani Bakery: 602 Lorimer St., https://www.settepani.com/
Astoria
The Brass Owl hawks a wide array of home goods and accessories. Kim Max for N.Y.PostAcross the Queensborough Bridge in Astoria, there are a plethora of hidden gems hawking accessories, apparel, home goods and knick-knacks, such as the Brass Owl or Lockwood, and, after a long day of shopping, locals can also unwind at Sacred SpaceAstoria, a yoga and wellness studio founded by Queens resident and mom of three Kim Alexandrescu.
If you’re on the hunt for a special holiday gift, snag a new vinyl from Pancakes Records or pick up a jar of local honey at Astor Apiaries, which prides itself on being the only honey and bee shop in the city and saw “quite the foot traffic” at their newly brick-and-mortar on Small Business Saturday last year.
Astoria gem Lockwood Home & Gifts is perfect for knick-knack lovers. Kim Max for N.Y.Post
End the day with some R&R at Sacred Space Astoria, where you can buy a yoga package for a friend or loved one.
“It gives a certain uniqueness and authenticity to a neighborhood when you have stores like us that are just in Astoria,” founder Nick Hoefly told The Post, adding that shopping small boosts business for the neighborhood, where many mom-and-pops have fallen to the wayside.
“Getting people to know about us is huge in just keeping us around.”
Shopping small is all the buzz — and at Astor Apiaries, locals can treat themselves to honey collected from beehives right in the Big Apple. Kim Max for N.Y.PostThe Brass Owl: 36-19 Ditmars Blvd., https://www.thebrassowl.com/
Lockwood Home & Gift: 32-15 33rd St., https://lockwoodshop.com/
Sacred Space Astoria: 2905 21st Ave., https://www.sacredspaceastoria.com/
Astor Apiaries: 33-22 23rd Ave., https://astorapiaries.com/
Pancakes Records: 20-77 Steinway St., https://pancakes-records.com/






