New campaign encourages people to support small east Charlotte businesses

CHARLOTTE — A local nonprofit wants you to spend your money at Eastland-area businesses this holiday season after many mom-and-pop shops took a hit during the CBP operation, and they’re essentially paying you to do so.

For many of the mom-and-pop shops of east Charlotte every package wrapped and item sold means a little more this Small Business Saturday.

Just two weeks ago operation “Charlotte’s Web” hit the Queen City.

Customs and Border Protection agents arrested 370 people, leading to many stores in the area temporarily closing and residents hiding.

“People, people is still scared,” said Yolanda Sanchez.

She owns a dress shop along Central Avenue. The open sign on her front window welcomes customers in and she hopes the other sign keeps agents out.

“It hurts for everybody,” Sanchez said. “Yeah, they hurts very bad.”

She said her business, like many others, has taken a hit since CBP agents arrived in Charlotte.

ALSO READ: Shoppers brave early hours for Black Friday deals at Charlotte Premium Outlets

“It’s been catastrophic, and we anticipate, really, a quarter of economic activity before things get back to some semblance of normalcy,” said CharlotteEAST’s Executive Director Greg Asciutto.

Asciutto is leading the campaign “Fuerza del Este” designed to pump dollars back into Eastland-area businesses.

Simply put, if you spend a certain amount of money at approved stores you’ll get a gift card for more money to spend.

“What we do see this though, is also in a really great opportunity for our city to see why the east side is so great, right? And it is our small businesses,” said Asciutto. “It’s our entrepreneurs, it’s our mom-and-pop shops that have made this community home for really going on 30 years now.”

Asciutto said between Nov. 15 and Nov. 22, half of the independently-owned businesses in the area closed for at least a day, resulting in an average daily loss of $2,500 in revenue.

This campaign will run for the next month.

Head to the CharlotteEAST website and pick any of the eligible stores. If you spend $25 or more you get a $50 gift card. If you spend over $50 you get a $100 gift card.

Just upload your receipt to the website and get you’ll get the gift card in January.

WATCH: Small Business Saturday expected to have more shoppers than Black Friday