By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
On Saturday, Robin Loughlin was not shopping online or battling traffic near malls.
“I like shopping in small businesses because I like to support the community I live in, and get to know the local business owners and help promote them to my friends,” she said
Loughlin joined hundreds in downtown Ortonville which was bustling with Christmas shoppers for Small Business Saturday.

“Probably middle of the day on Saturday, I reached out to the retail businesses and asked them for some feedback,” said Matt Jenkins, Downtown Development Authority director. “And every single one indicated that it was hugely successful for them.”
“Ortonville is a very friendly community with a lot of unique items to offer. Many items are made locally and cannot be found in big box stores. I love living here and making friends and helping our economy.”
Small Business Saturday is a nation-wide initiative to combat the Black Friday deals of big chain stores, as well as the e-commerce associated with Cyber Monday, and is a way to highlight local communities and small businesses, which have been hit hard by the coronavirus Pandemic.
Since March, Michigan businesses have been grappling with executive orders that limit numbers of people inside their businesses at a time.
“It was amazing,” said Jenkins. “It shouldn’t surprise me, but every time our backs are against the wall, it seems like the community responds.”
Loughlin, a member of the community, was more than happy to spend the day supporting the downtown businesses.
“Small Business Saturday is an opportunity for all of us to support our local businesses and also for some folks to try out new businesses they may have never been to before,” she said. “This year was especially fun because I felt there was a ton of support for our local businesses. So many people were shopping, and it was a beautiful day and an absolute blast to run into friends and shop for great items for myself and others.”