Benicia Main Street gets into the giving mood

(Originally published in the 4/26/16 edition)

   Winter is always seen as the season of giving- it is the season in which Christmas falls, after all. However, people really should be benefiting those in need throughout the entire year. Benicia Main Street recently came up with the idea to tie the concept of giving with the season of spring for its weeklong promotion titled Spring into Giving. 

   “We were just throwing around ideas that had to do with spring,” Deborah Housman, Benicia Main Street’s event coordinator, said. “We thought ‘The community is really giving, with a lot of different charities, so how can we tie a shopping promotion with a charity cause?’”

   Out of this brainstorming came Spring into Giving, a promotional event lasting from Sunday, April 30 to Sunday, May 7. The event will benefit Benicia’s Family Resource Center, a community center supervised by Benicia Police Department’s Special Operation Division. The center provides assistance for families and offers parent education and family support services.

   People who drop off suggested donation items at Benicia Main Street during the week will receive a discount card valid with 33 participating downtown businesses. These include Bookshop Benicia, Camellia Tea Room, First Street Cafe, First Impressions Salon and Spa, Pups ’N’ Purrz, Union Hotel, Christina S Fashion Destination, Venticellos Ristorante Italiano, Angel Heart 4 You, Roberto’s Fine Jewelry, Wellness Wisdom and many others. 

   The goal is to stock the Family Resource Center’s closet with emergency family products. Suggested donation items include diapers, baby wipes, baby shampoos and soap, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, bath towels, wash cloths, socks, hair brushes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and more. 

   “Spring into Giving is a win-win all around,” Benicia Main Street Executive Director Nancy Martinez said in a statement. “The public gets to learn about and donate to a great community cause, while supporting local downtown businesses.”

   Benicia Main Street is located at 90 Main St. and open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays and weekends. For more information, visit BeniciaMainStreet.org or call 745-9791. 

   People can also drop off donations at the Family Resource Center, located at 150 East K St. However, appoints should be made ahead of time by calling 746-4352. For more information, email Blanche Hillman at bhillman@ci.benicia.ca.us. 

Small Business Saturday a success in Benicia and beyond

(Originally published in the 12/3/15 edition)

   All across the nation on Saturday, shoppers showed their love for independently run businesses for Small Business Saturday.

   The holiday was founded in 2010 by American Express to get people to support their local merchants. Small Business Saturday typically is held the day after Black Friday.
   According to the Post-Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey from the National Federation of Independent Business and American Express, a record 95 million consumers shopped on Small Business Saturday this year, which marks an 8 percent increase over 2014. Additionally, roughly $16.2 billion was spent at small businesses, up 14 percent from the $14.3 billion that was spent last year.

   That success was realized in Benicia, one of the many towns that participated.

   “Studio 41 had a great day,” Benicia Main Street Executive Director Nancy Martinez said. “We certainly did at Benicia Main Street. We had Downtown Dollar promotions available for the first people who showed up (at Benicia Main Street) at 11. When I got here at 11, there were already 10 people at the store.”

   According to Martinez, restaurants drew a lot of customers, including Dianna’s Bakery and Cafe, which had just opened up two days prior. Romancing the Home almost had a line out the door, Martinez said.

   “I saw a lot of people on the street Saturday,” she added. “I’m hoping they were out shopping and not just walking their dogs.”

Small Business Saturday in Benicia encourages residents to shop local

(Originally published in the 11/24/15 edition)

   As the crowds dissipate from the malls and large chain retailers of the world when Black Friday ends, people can feel free to continue their shopping the following day in a way that benefits the local businesses of their community.

   This Saturday, Benicia Main Street and the city of Benicia will be presenting the sixth annual Small Business Saturday. The nationwide shopping event typically held the Saturday after Thanksgiving was founded in 2010 by American Express as a way for communities to celebrate the smaller businesses that help support their towns. Nancy Martinez, executive director of Benicia Main Street, said the program held its first Small Business Saturday that year, and it was officially recognized by the city in 2011.

   This year, fifty businesses from all across Benicia have chosen to participate in Small Business Saturday, including Bookshop Benicia, Wheels in Motion and Honeysuckle Rose. However, retail stores will not be the only businesses taking part. Shoppers can also eat lunch and get haircuts or manicures at participating businesses. 

   Teri Davena of the Economic Development Office says new benefits have been added this year.

   “Benicia Main Street is offering $5 in Downtown Dollars to the first 30 people who stop by the Depot,” she said. “That will kickstart their shopping in downtown Benicia.”

   Additionally, some participating businesses will have giveaways like designer tote bags. Some stores may offer discounts, but Martinez says that is not the focus.

   “It’s more about the public recognizing small businesses,” she said. “There’s a lot of chains and online shopping, so the fact that they can survive in this economy, we want the public to acknowledge them. We also want to thank them for helping them survive.”

   Davena says the event is a good way to get people to patronize the independent businesses that give Benicia its unique character.

   “It’s important to our town to keep them in business and offer the unique opportunities that they provide for our residents and keep our downtown vibrant and alive,” she said. 

   However, Davena recommends that residents don’t take just one day out of the year to support their local businesses.

   “This is a day to remember all of our small businesses and to remind them to shop every day locally,” she said. 

   Small Business Saturday will kick off 11 a.m., Saturday Nov. 28 at the Southern Pacific Train Depot, located at 90 First Street. For a complete list of participating businesses, visit BeniciaMainStreet.org.