Carrboro Business Alliance kicks off Carrboro Cheer on Small Business Saturday to spread cheer and support local Carrboro businesses this holiday season

Carrboro, NC: The Carrboro Business Alliance (CBA) launched the new Carrboro Cheer Gift Guide (www.CarrboroCheer.com), which showcases more than 60 curated, uniquely Carrboro gift ideas for the holiday shopping season. The Gift Guide is part of Carrboro Cheer, an annual initiative coordinated by the CBA to spread cheer and support local Carrboro businesses all season long. 

“The Carrboro Cheer Gift Guide makes it fun, safe, and easy for shoppers to buy local and knock out their entire holiday shopping list in one swoop with uniquely Carrboro purchases,” said Bridget Pemberton-Smith, Chair of the Carrboro Business Alliance Marketing Committee and Executive Director of the Art Therapy Institute. 
 

Gift Guide 

The Carrboro Cheer Gift Guide is a new feature of Carrboro Cheer to encourage more local shopping this holiday season. The Gift Guide showcases more than sixty curated, uniquely Carrboro gift ideas with safe purchasing options and quick delivery details. There are currently six gift lists in the Carrboro Cheer Gift Guide: 

1. Uniquely Carrboro, which features Carrboro-branded gift options, such as the “I’m Openly Carrboro” t-shirt from This + That Gift Gallery and the signature, scratch-made Chipotle Salsa sold by the jar from Carrburritos Taqueria. 

2. One-Click Wonders, which features Carrboro gifts available for safe and easy purchase online, such as a Coffee Gift Box from Carrboro Coffee Roasters and the Five Fragrance Gift Pack from The Fragrance Shop.  

3. Gifts around $15, which features affordable treasures, such as a 32-ounce growler of craft beer from Craftboro Brewing Depot and candles made by Black-owned businesses and sold in the gift shop at Weaver Street Market. 

4. Gifts to Savor, which features flavorful gifts of Carrboro, including food, beer, and wine, such as the molasses ginger cookies from Neal’s Deli and artisanal offerings from Glasshalfull Mercantile. 

5. Gifts to Delight, which features presents from Carrboro’s many gift shops and stores, such as the new cozy-chic “Barefoot Dreams” collection from Sofia’s Boutique and the handcrafted aromatic wood wind charmer and spinner from a local vendor at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market.

6.  Gifts to Experience, which features Carrboro experiences that can be gifted, such as a pottery or painting class from The ArtsCenter and a salt soak experience from Arete Float Tank and Personal Optimization Studio.
 

Calendar of Cheer

While the holidays look a little different this year given the coronavirus, there are several opportunities to have safe and positive shopping experiences that support local Carrboro businesses and the Carrboro community. 

• November 28: Small Business Saturday - Stop by the CBA table at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market from 9-10am for a complimentary individually-wrapped Neal’s Deli cookie and gift bag featuring local samples, coupons, and gift cards from local businesses distributed with our friends from The Chamber and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Note: There is a surprise $100 gift card from Carr Mill Mall in one of the complimentary Small Business Saturday gift bags!

• November 30: Cyber Monday - Join the CBA in making it local Cyber Monday.

• December 1: Giving Tuesday - Join the CBA in supporting local charities.

• December 11: 2nd Friday Art Walk - Shop local as you stroll through Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

• December 12 & 13: The ArtsCenter Elf Market - The annual holiday craft market is now in a socially-distanced format at University Place in Chapel Hill. 
   

Carrboro Cheer 

The Carrboro Business Alliance (CBA) coordinates Carrboro Cheer, an annual initiative to spread cheer and support local Carrboro businesses during the holiday season. Carrboro Cheer kicks off on Small Business Saturday with a table at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market from 9-10am and continues all season long. New this year, the CBA will emphasize local online purchases for Cyber Monday and support local charities on Giving Tuesday. Also, the CBA has created and launched a new online Gift Guide, which showcases more than sixty curated, uniquely Carrboro gift ideas. Indeed, Carrboro Cheer is making it easy and fun to safely shop small and support local Carrboro businesses this holiday season. View the Carrboro Cheer Poster [PDF]. 
 

Small Business Saturday 

Small Business Saturday is a national movement launched in 2010 by American Express and supported by local communities across the country. The Carrboro Business Alliance is recognized as a Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion for outstanding efforts to bring the community together with events and activities on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year. 

Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle declared Saturday, November 28, 2020 as Small Business Saturday. In Mayor Lavelle’s proclamation, she said, “This year, more than ever, supporting our local businesses is even more necessary to their survival; support is easily accomplished in-person or virtually, and by purchase of items or by gift cards for future use. I urge all Carrboro residents to make an extra effort to support our local businesses in Carrboro on this day, especially during this challenging year.”
 

Small Business Saturday Booth and Gift Bags

The CBA will host a table at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market on Small Business Saturday (11/28/20) from 9-10am and distribute individually-wrapped Neal’s Deli Molasses Ginger Cookies and 100 complimentary Small Business Saturday Gift Bags (while supplies last!). This is open to the public and all masked-up guests are welcome. 

The Small Business Saturday gift bags are reusable bags from American Express and the gift bags include:   

• Coffee samples from Carrboro Coffee Roasters 

• Koozies from Carrburritos Taqueria 

• Handmade soaps from Womancraft Gifts

• Gift cards from Weaver Street Market and Carrboro Coffee Roasters

• Coupons from Ali Cat Toys, The ArtsCenter, CommunityWorx, The Fragrance Shop, My Muses Card Shop, Sofia’s Boutique, and Womancraft Gifts

• Relocation Guides from The Chamber 

• Stickers from The Chamber and Small Business Saturday

• ...and one lucky Small Business Saturday shopper will receive a gift bag with a $100 gift card to any store in Carr Mill Mall! 

About the CBA

CBA Founding Funders

The success of the CBA was made possible by CBA Founding Champions: Carr Mill Mall, The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro, and the Town of Carrboro; and CBA Founding Investors: Atma Hotel Group, Carrboro Creative, Chapel Hill Tire, Coastal Credit Union, CommunityWorx, Duke Energy, Eller Capital Partners, I-40 Films, New Media Campaigns, Weaver Street Market, and Wrenn Works.
 

Contact

For questions, contact CBA staff support, Katie Loovis, at (919) 696-0781 (cell) or KLoovis@carolinachamber.org.