BUFFALO, N.Y. — With two of the biggest shopping days approaching, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, many Western New Yorkers are getting ready to pull out their wallets.

“The money that you spend in your community goes back into the community and it’s good to have a thriving business district that is predominately local businesses,” Allen Street Dress Shop associate Jeannine Giffear said.

Giffear is one of the people promoting shopping locally this holiday season. She is taking part in Small Business Saturday on Nov. 27, along with other stores in Buffalo’s Allentown neighborhood like TREND UP. The owner of this men’s urban, contemporary streetwear store, Giovanni Centurione, said that he has always had a passion for fashion.

“In high school, I always dressed up differently than everybody else,” Centurione said. “I had my own style. When I lived in New York City for 12 years, I kind of picked up on that scene and worked in retail stores there. That inspired me to have my own shop someday.”

He moved his store to Allentown during the pandemic, and explained what running a retail business was like amid such a trying time.  

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Centurione said. “During the shutdown, we had to put everything online. That’s helped, because we’re putting everything on different websites that we don’t normally do or putting accessories that we didn’t normally have online. Then when we were able to open, we did do curbside, one-on-one if requested.”

Now that the store is able to be open again, Centurione believes that having more options will boost sales. People can come into the store and still pick up curbside or order online. Regardless of how someone supports neighborhood stores, the owners say it is a great boost to the local economy.

The shops in this neighborhood are opening early for Small Business Saturday at 10 a.m. and won’t close until 7 p.m. Street parking is free on weekends.