‘Tis the season to support Black-owned businesses.
This year, shoppers can make an impact with their holiday spending by supporting Philadelphia’s many Black- and Brown-owned businesses. Through Visit Philadelphia initiatives, visitors and locals can shop – both in-person and online – for their nearest and dearest, and in turn, support Black- and Brown-owned shops and boutiques that help make Philly so wonderful.
“There is no better place to visit, celebrate and shop for the holidays than Philadelphia,” said Visit Philadelphia president and CEO Angela Val. “At Visit Philadelphia, we are committed to ensuring that the value and benefit of tourism extends into our neighborhoods, our communities, and especially to Black- and Brown-owned businesses who were hardest hit during the pandemic. ”
Philadelphia City Council recently announced a resolution to declare each Friday in December “Shop Black Business Friday.” City Councilmember At-Large Katherine Gilmore Richardson, who introduced the resolution, stated, “The Shop Black Business Friday initiative – through the support of Visit Philadelphia – enables residents and visitors to give back to our community by shopping and supporting our local Black- and Brown-owned businesses.”
Get there in a PHLASH
To elevate the impact of Shop Black Business Friday, Philly PHLASH has made it even easier to shop thanks to the all-new Philly PHLASH Shopping Loop, a bus route that will run to four neighborhoods once a day on Fridays from Nov. 25 through Dec. 23.
Shoppers can board the bus at the Independence Visitor Center in Old City at noon and if they do the entire route, will return to the IVC by 4 p.m. Advance registration is encouraged, but not required and every ride on the Philly PHLASH Shopping Loop is free.
The bus will stop in South Street Headhouse District, West Philadelphia, Northern Liberties and Center City. Riders will have one hour to shop before the bus departs for the next neighborhood. Shoppers can find a comprehensive list of diverse businesses in each neighborhood at visitphilly.com/shoppingloop. Those who drive into Center City can also take advantage of discounted parking when they show their PHLASH pass.
Shop Philly with James Bradberry
Visit Philadelphia’s Shop Philly holiday collection is now available online at visitphilly.com/shop, and exclusively focuses on Black- and Brown-owned businesses. The holiday collection was curated by Philadelphia Eagles first-year cornerback James Bradberry.
Bradberry selected many items that reflect his diverse interests – he’s a foodie who offers private cooking lessons to friends and family (check out his hot sauce and seasoning selections), an avid reader (there are multiple books in his collection) and a philanthropist. There are also relaxation picks (teas, incense, salt soaks and specialty soaps) that might actually be on his own wish list for post-game recovery.
“I am new to Philadelphia, so curating this Shop Philly holiday collection was a great opportunity for me to get to know my new city better,” said Bradberry. “I’m also really proud that my collection is exclusively focused on Black- and Brown-owned businesses. It’s always important to support these businesses, but it’s especially important now as they continue to recover from the impact of the pandemic.”
The Shop Philly holiday collection is available through mid-January, 2023, and features 33 items.
