VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Black Friday deals may be mostly over, but now local shops are celebrating Small Business Saturday.
D. Nachnani, owner of Coastal Edge, kicked off a day full of shopping local with the grand opening of their 7th store in 31 years.
"We were able to, in spite of all of those challenges, we were able to open on small business Saturday," Nachnani said.
He says the pandemic has brought its fair share of challenges, from lockdowns to staffing shortages.
"I’m so grateful for our customers, as well as our employees, that kind of gathered together and decided that we were gonna turn all of our obstacles into opportunities," Nachnani said.
But, through it all, they kept going.
"I gotta tell you, hurricanes, earthquakes, swamp fires, tornadoes, riots and now global pandemics, we’re very blessed to be here," he continued.
Small Business Saturday started in 2010 and has grown each year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, spending at local stores and restaurants reached $19.8 billion last year for the national event.
Dusty Williams stopped by the grand opening at the Lynnhaven Mall with his son. He says they’re taking the opportunity to support local stores
"We try to help our local economy and keep everybody’s pockets rich," Williams said.
Nachnani says shopping small is so vital for the Hampton Roads’ economy.
"All of those local dollars come right back to the city of Virginia Beach and the state of Virginia. Everything gets poured back into growing our community," Nachnani said.
It also gives small businesses, like Coastal Edge, the opportunity to give back to their community.
"Through our pillars of action sports, of sustainability, of music, we’ve been able to give back experiences and we’ll continue to well into 2022," he said.