Start here: Lewiston Business Group offers early holiday shopping

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

Small Business Saturday will be a grand celebration of local merchants; a great reason to get out of the house and go shopping; and an opportunity to find unique holiday gifts. …

But that’s in two weeks.

For those eager to get a jump-start on the season of giving, Lewiston retailers will host their annual “Holiday Kick-Off” from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Participating businesses will offer discounts, refreshments and other surprises.

“This is our third annual and, I think especially this year, I hope the weather will be great. But there’s a huge sense of urgency to start shopping now,” said Laura Mann Falsetti of You & Me boutique. “I think any retailer can agree that they really need to start shopping now. So, hopefully, Saturday will be super successful for us.”

She added, “It’s just to get people to come to Lewiston, start their shopping early, get down here before Small Business Saturday – because that’s crazy down here. Christmas Walk (the following weekend), of course, is crazy, as well.

“We’re just trying to get people to come remember us for their Christmas shopping; and come here first – before anywhere else.”

Kathy Pignatora of Inspirations on Canvas said, “We started this, like Laura said, a couple years ago – and not knowing if it would work or not. And we even did it last year; some of us pulled that together through COVID, and it was successful.”

She added, “People are looking for sales. I think most people have noticed people are already Christmas shopping – they have been for weeks.”

Sara Liberale of The Rose Hanger said, "You can avoid the holiday rush that's going to be happening during Small Business Saturday, and come up this weekend where it won't be quite as busy, but there will still be discounts. We also all have full stores ready to go with Christmas merchandise."

Pignatora emphasized, “Our shelves are stocked.”

"Just going store to store, you'll find every store's got something going on,” she added.

More information is available online at https://www.facebook.com/LewistonBusinessGroup.

The Lewiston Business Group is a subcommittee of the Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce.