KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the holiday season kicks into high gear, local small businesses are gearing up for one of their busiest days of the year: Small Business Saturday.
"It’s a great day Saturday. We have a lot of people come even from out of town that visit us once a year, they try to come on Saturday. And today everybody gets a free hug so I’m sure that’s gonna be massive. If you come to stuff, the stuff sister will also give you a hug," said Casey Simmons, co-founder of A Store Named Stuff.
Casey and Sloane Simmons founded A Store Named Stuff located in Brookside over 25 years ago.
"We love it. I mean, I’m not sure we know what to do if we weren't doing this together," said Casey Simmons. "It has become a fiber of our lives and who we are and what our family does these weekends."
Since the inception of Small Business Saturday, local businesses have seen the impact.
"The first year was kind of funny because we had to really explain it to people and it was a lot of educating people. And now everyone knows what it is and it’s a big deal and it’s amazing and awesome and we love every minute of it," said Casey Simmons.
Many of the products they sell are handcrafted and made by local artists and vendors.
"Small businesses support their small businesses. That’s what they do," said Casey Simmons. "Our makers and our creators are all small businesses themselves.
When you support locally, you're also giving back to the community. The Simmons sisters have made sure to give back during the season of giving.
"There’s a big retailer particularly big month for my sister and me because this coming Tuesday we start giving for the four Tuesdays in December. We will be open on Tuesday. Those are our extended hours and they will benefit five local charities 15% of everything you buy," said Sloane Simmons.
They are open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with their extended hours on Tuesdays for December.
KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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