For the second year in a row, Green Mountain Transit is providing a Free Ride Day to help Vermont shoppers reach local retailers on "Small Business Saturday," which falls on Nov. 26 this year.
"People can take part in it throughout the whole Green Mountain Transit service area," says Karen Walton, Green Mountain Transit's general manager.
The GMT service area includes five counties – Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Washington – and Walton says rides are fare-free on any routes up and running this Saturday.
"Small Business Saturday" is a holiday made for local shopping that was created in 2010 by American Express. It falls between the busy shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Erin Sigrist, president-elect of the Vermont Retail & Grocers Association, spoke with Vermont Edition on Tuesday to discuss how the upcoming holiday shopping season impacts Vermont's retailers.
"Small businesses are really the lifeblood of Vermont," Sigrist says. "And, you know, it's certainly something that not only our retailers depend on, but also I think we need to give them credit that they provide so much support to the community, that it's really important to have our customers come out and support those small businesses."
Sigrist explains that during the holiday season, a small business could make between a quarter and a third of their annual sales.
"Holiday shopping ... is the busiest time of the year, so it's very important to our small businesses here in Vermont," she says.
In terms of expectations heading into the season, Sigrist says that they're optimistic there will be an increase in sales from last year.
Listen to the full segment from Vermont Edition above.
