DENVER (CBS4) – Whereas large field retailers are rolling out Black Friday offers a bit otherwise this 12 months, small companies are are additionally doing their finest to prep for the kick off to the vacation purchasing season, hoping for some help after a tricky 12 months of enterprise.

(credit score: CBS)
“It’s been terribly tough the final 9 to 10 months,” mentioned Derek Friedman, proprietor of Sportsfan, a sports activities merchandise retailer with a number of areas within the Denver metro space. “We had no followers all through the entire finish of the Avs, the Nuggets, all the Rockies season, after which now no Broncos followers are allowed to go to video games, so it’s been terribly tough… we ordered all of our stuff a 12 months prematurely, you don’t plan to have zero followers, so proper now we’re operating big gross sales.”
Other than COVID-19 restrictions, Friedman’s shops had been additionally affected this 12 months by riots and looting.

(credit score: Evan Semón)
“We had shops downtown that suffered by means of the riots, we had break-ins, and had been looted, it’s simply been actually actually tough,” Friedman mentioned.
This Thanksgiving morning, Friedman, who has been in enterprise since 2014, was driving round to his varied areas, ensuring his retailers had been prepped and prepared for Black Friday and Small Enterprise Saturday. This 12 months, his shops are providing 50% off on present participant merchandise, amongst different gross sales. He’s hoping these gross sales will assist make up for an particularly powerful 12 months.

(credit score: CBS)
“For a small enterprise proprietor, you’re working day by day, 24 hours, simply to ensure every part is prepared, workers are prepared, for what we hope to be one of many higher components of the 12 months. It’s often the kick off to the vacation season, for us, we try to get our shops totally merchandise, we’ve large gross sales happening. Simply wish to make it possible for when folks are available, they see the gross sales, they usually can seize all of the issues that may make them excited on Christmas morning,” Friedman mentioned. “We’re hoping Small Enterprise Saturday and really by means of all the purchasing season, individuals are centered on serving to out small companies like ours, as a result of we’ve suffered disproportionately.”
For a map of different small companies in downtown Denver providing particular offers this weekend, click here. For different methods to help native companies this vacation season, click here.