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New businesses opening. Milestones reached. Awards won. Partnerships formed. Community impact made. This is where St. Pete business gets to celebrate itself — and where the Chamber makes sure those wins don’t go unnoticed.
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From the floors of the State Capitol to City Hall, from community forums to regional partnerships, the St. Pete Chamber is an active, vocal and proud champion for this city’s businesses and the people who run them. We track the legislation that affects you, engage the elected officials who represent you, and make sure the St. Pete business community always has a seat at the table.
Bianca Soler
Vice President, Executive Office & Brand
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Shop Central Ave for Small Business Saturday November 25, 2023
Shop Central Ave for Small Business Saturday November 25, 2023
Shop Where You Live!
Visit St Pete’s Premier Shopping Destination: Central Avenue Corridor
Small Business Saturday (November 25th) is the perfect day to grab your family & friends for a day of exploring all that downtown has to offer. You’ll find businesses selling everything on your holiday shopping list, plus unique food and beverage spots providing a welcome respite. There are over 200 local and independently-owned shops, boutiques, salons, galleries, cafes, coffee shops and more along the Central Avenue corridor. Plus, with plenty of street parking, new parking options at Tropicana Field, the Central Avenue Trolley and the new SunRunner Bus Rapid Transit - exploring Central Avenue has never been easier!
Collectively, these brick & mortar businesses epitomize the Shop Small ethos that makes St. Pete unique. Our small business owners are here every day offering the level of customer service, friendly local faces, and curated experiences only a storefront business can provide.
Spanning over 30 blocks from the waterfront to 31st Street, Central Avenue has become the shopping and dining destination of the region. Award-winning shops and restaurants line each block with new and exciting spots opening weekly.
“When you support a local business, you’re also supporting your town, city, and neighborhood by way of paying sales tax. The sales tax money is used to support public schools, parks, roads, and sidewalks, as well as funding public service workers, like firefighters.”
The businesses of the Central Avenue corridor welcome you this holiday shopping season.
Small Business Saturday started as a campaign launched by American Express in 2010, to help small businesses gain exposure and to inspire consumers to shop within their own communities during the holiday season. The day became official in 2011 and one year later, an estimated $5.5 billion was spent at small businesses nationwide. By 2013, communities began celebrating the holiday by pledging support to their local businesses and organizations. The trend continues as small retail shopping is experiencing a renewed renaissance.
“For every dollar spent, 67 cents stays in the community when you shop a local business.” Small businesses have a much bigger impact than you might initially think. Nearly half of U.S. employees work for small businesses and even the turbulence of recent years hasn’t slowed down the small business economy - last year alone, over 5 million new businesses were created.
As well as supporting the local community with the creation of jobs, small businesses often source their supplies from the local community, boosting the local economy once again. This is an easily traceable and low carbon footprint supply chain that larger businesses that operate on mass just can’t compete with.
“Small businesses have added over 12.9 million jobs in the last 25 years.”
Please spread the word about supporting our amazing collection of independently owned and operated businesses this holiday shopping season. The support of the community not only keeps these businesses open and thriving, but continues the rich history and unique ethos that makes living in St. Petersburg the envy of every other city in Florida.
