What is Plaid Friday?
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By Cynthia Haggitt
Locally owned small businesses are vital components of many thriving communities. The unique role locally owned small businesses play was never more apparent than during the pandemic, when many such establishments were forced to close, reduce their hours of operation or downsize their offerings as consumers were urged to stay home and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In the wake of those changes, communities across the country soon realized how vital local businesses are to their local economies.
Job creation and tax revenue are two ways that locally owned small businesses support local economies. These businesses also make communities unique and serve as a source of pride for residents, which underscores the importance of supporting them as the world slowly emerges from the pandemic.
Businesses big and small look to the holiday season as a great time to increase their revenue. Big business gets a significant boost from Black Friday, which occurs on the day after Thanksgiving and marks the unofficial opening of the holiday shopping season. But consumers who want to support locally owned small businesses as they start their holiday shopping can look to Plaid Friday.
Plaid Friday was initially organized in Oakland, Calif., in 2009. Back then, Plaid Friday, which takes place on the day after Thanksgiving, was intended to serve as a more laid back alternative to Black Friday, a day that’s become as notorious for incidents threatening public safety as it has for great deals. Plaid Friday efforts promote locally owned small businesses and encourage residents to patronize these establishments as they begin their holiday shopping.
Since 2009, Plaid Friday has caught on, and many communities now embrace it. Many small business owners host Plaid Friday sales, and some even offer extra discounts to customers who wear plaid, which has come to symbolize support for small, independently owned businesses.
This year Plaid Friday occurs on Nov 26. Residents are urged to support small, locally owned businesses, many of which could use a boost after a challenging 2020 holiday season.
