By KIARA DONOFRIO– The coronavirus pandemic is a huge disadvantage to small, local businesses.  These businesses are not getting as many customers as they would have before the virus changed people’s in-person shopping habits. 

Supporting our small businesses during the holiday shopping season is necessary in order to keep them open. Purchasing holiday presents is a great step to help businesses to get back on their feet.

Supporting local businesses during the holidays is important.  Senior Lexi Gibbons mentions, “I usually only buy from small businesses because they have the cutest gifts and each is unique to the seller.”

Sophomore Alyssa Carloni says, “I believe it is important to purchase through small businesses rather than a larger website such as Amazon during the covid pandemic because I think that buying presents through a large business can increase the spread of the virus.  Also at this time, small businesses aren’t making a lot of money so this can help them stay in business during this time.”  Larger business profits are not being as negatively affected as much as the smaller ones are.

Senior Alexis Husted-Williams states, “Small businesses are struggling more than ever because as more covid cases occur, employment rates decrease.  People don’t have as much money to spend on things they want, so smaller business owners get less and less sales.  I think even if we can’t afford to buy much, bringing awareness to them and helping them advertise can help get their name known.”  Bringing awareness is a great idea so that other people have an idea of what is happening and can help as well.

This is important because if we don’t support small businesses they could get shut down due to them not making enough money during this hard time. Purchasing presents for family and friends is a great way to prevent this from happening.  Positively, the community can come together on a joyful time of year to help each other out during these hard times.

[Photo by Kiara Donofrio]

Photo Caption: Former IHS student McKayla Donofrio supports small businesses during these hard times by buying a sub from the 9th Street Deli.