MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The day after Thanksgiving, or Black Friday, is considered the official start of the holiday shopping season.
While people tend to think about big box stores as places to get deals, one small business on Milwaukee’s Upper East Side is gearing up for a big spending weekend ahead.
“Local businesses are the way to shop just because you get such a different experience,” said Brandon Mueller.
The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is often one of major shopping. The National Retail Federation estimates more than 166 million people will hit stores across the country over the next five days.
But with rising inflation, experts say this may be a lower spending season than normal.
To fight that, local businesses both big and small are hoping to attract customers through deals for shoppers to save some money and invest it in their fellow neighbors.
“Milwaukee is one of those places where it's all about neighborhoods, it's all about community and we don't thrive as a community if the community doesn't support us and we don't support them back,” said SayWerd owner Benny Tralongo.
At Say Werd, a vintage clothing shop on Oakland Avenue, shoppers can take a step back in time and swim in the nostalgia while supporting local creators.
“It might just put a smile on their face when they really need it and to be able to do that for a living, it’s really, really awesome,” said Kevin Jensen.
For small businesses like Say Werd, they say that their main goal is to not only support their community but give them something to enjoy, no matter the time of season.
“It's more than just clothing and something to wear. It's nostalgia and it's hard to put a price on a feeling that takes you back to a time that made you feel good and simple and just easygoing,” said Tralongo.
For more information on Say Werd, click here.
