Yes, it’s yet another made up day to celebrate shopping, but we’re down with this one!
SBS started in America in 2010 to encourage consumers to support small local businesses as opposed to the big stores with their foreign imports. So, although we are an online store, we’re embracing SBS fully! We also supply local gift stores and independent pharmacies, so you can support the local bricks and mortar stores too!
We small businesses simply can’t compete with the big box stores. We can’t slash our prices and offer crazy discounts. Because, truth be told, we aren’t whacking on the great big mark ups in the first place. We don’t buy bulk, cheap ingredients from China. And it’s likely that other small businesses, like us, can’t make 1000 items an hour with fancy factory machines.
Do you get annoyed when you’ve treated yourself to a new purchase then the next day the high street store you bought it from offers it at half price? With all the staff wages, rent and advertising they have to cover, let alone the share-holders to satisfy, the cost price of the goods they sell must be a fraction of even the sale price we pay!
The kids and I have a favourite place to buy quality chocolate when we’re in the mood for a treat. We go there and we watch the chocolates being hand-made, step by step. We’re salivating before the little tray of samples even reaches us. And when we make our purchase, you know that we eat it slowly and savour every divine mouthful. Unlike the fast-fix, always on offer, sugar-stuffed bars we can get in the supermarket. This chocolate store hardly ever has offers on. But customers love it and support it.
Of course we do like to run offers when we can, to thank you, our customers. But do them too often and, unlike the ‘when you buy from a small business’ meme says, we won’t actually be paying for our child’s dance lesson or putting nice food on the table!
So instead of a discount this Small Business Saturday, we’d like to offer you something that supports other Kiwi business women who aim to provide you with quality, natural products made with love, while supporting their families.
Our SBS 2020 offer – Spend over $30* and we will add a beautiful, soy candle to your order, worth a minimum of $14. All the candles are made with natural ingredients and have different scents. Which scent you get will be a surprise! As will the small NZ biz that it's from. A bit like a lucky dip, or opening your stocking on Christmas morning! You don’t need to use a code. But it is first come first served, while stocks last.
Your purchase won’t just be supporting these other businesses, but our charity of the month too, which this month is the Salvation Army. Every pouch of 2 in 1 bath soak & body scrub you buy means a 30 cents donation, and we donate 50 cents on your behalf for every bottle of soak or magnesium oil.
Feel good while doing good. Your purchase isn’t helping the fat cats buy a fourth fancy fast car. Though it may help us get ours through its festively-timed WOF! And it isn’t subsidising a swanky staff shindig. Though it may help a Kiwi family in need enjoy a Christmas lunch.
You don’t even need to purchase to support Small Business Saturday – you could share this blog, like our Facebook page, tell a friend that Salt & Oil makes natural bath soaks to help her relax after a stressful day at work, or show your school’s PTA that we have a great, easy online fundraiser for them. Little kindnesses like this really do help.
Thank you SO much, from this small NZ biz on #SmallBusinessSaturday xx
* For this offer, the $30 must be on individual items only - the gift sets are not included as they are already discounted for you.
Valid from Friday 27 - Sunday 29 November, or while stocks last.