This year, it’s more important than ever to shop small

Our priority at the Anchorage Downtown Partnership Ltd. is ensuring a clean, safe, and vital downtown for the community.

Throughout the winter, we always have a lot of ground to cover — our ambassadors patrol and remove snow from 120 blocks of the city center. We work with community partners to improve illumination, increase safety and boost cheer with the Light Up Downtown Initiative, adding holiday lights to shops, businesses and public spaces during these dark months.

We’ll make sure that happens in 2020 as usual. But the past eight months have been uniquely challenging. As an organization focused on the health and vitality of our community, we often arrange large scale events and focus on drawing big crowds. That’s no longer our reality, and we’ve worked to reinvent ourselves and reconsider our purpose.

We’re not alone. That process of reimagining is happening for every single business, organization, and family right now. According to data from the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, this summer saw 13% of Alaska businesses close, and another 9% reduce their hours. The impact on our economy will be huge, and the consequences are still building. So as you start considering your holiday plans, gifts, and traditions, we encourage you to look to small businesses first. Small Business Saturday, on November 28th, is worth participating in: When you shop local, 40-60 cents of each dollar stays in the community, continuing to circulate. In contrast, Jeff Bezos’ wealth jumped from $90.1 billion to over $203.1 billion this year, thanks to Amazon’s rocketing stock prices. Jeff doesn’t need any more of our dollars — our families, friends, and neighbors do.

And our locally-owned businesses are worth it: Kobuk, the old dry goods store on the corner of Town Square Park, offers the state’s best doughnuts and a kaleidoscope of hot tea and coffee. Skinny Raven, Anchorage’s most famous running store, features a treadmill in the window where expert staff analyzes your gait for that perfect fit.

For all the quilters, Quilted Raven offers cloth printed with the motifs of classic Alaskan artists like Barbara Lavelle and Jon Van Zyle. Copper River Fleece available, at Cabin Fever, offers anyone interested in a career in politics — or some Alaska street cred — the uniform du jour. Tiny Gallery features all Alaskan made products and a unique collection of goods.

The Sevigny Studio on G Street offers art and gifts made by scores of Alaskan artists, from Denise Ekstrand to Gina Edwards. Circular Boutique offers a delightful mix of style-conscious and eco-friendly fashion. And for a deal on high-end goods, consignment shops like the Second Run offer an array of jewelry, clothes, and shoes for the fashion-forward. This is just a handful of what our vibrant community has to offer.

The bottom line? Staying local this holiday season is the perfect way to meet your needs while helping the whole community. Whether it’s on Small Business Saturday, or just the weekly run to your local grocery store, supporting local businesses is an easy way to keep investing in the city we love during a winter that might feel a little darker than usual. We at the Anchorage Downtown Partnership are happy to provide the lights — but you’re the ones that bring the real glow.

Amanda Moser is the executive director of Anchorage Downtown Partnership.

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