STATEN ISLAND, NY -- If you’re in the market for an iconic orange-and-blue “forgotten borough” T-shirt or want to send a “Molinari-class” miniature Staten Island Ferry Christmas ornament to all of your relatives this holiday season, “Shop Staten Island” has you covered.
Want a two-pound tray of rainbow cookies from the Cake Chef or some of the small batch espresso beans brewed at Main Street Coffee? The online marketplace has those too. And Amazon will ship all of those “made in Staten Island” goodies to your doorstep for free this holiday season. Even Pete Davidson has to be excited about this.
“Since the launch of Shop Staten Island last year, we have heard great feedback from merchants who have benefited from the extra sales and exposure the platform provides,” noted Linda Baran, president and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the e-commerce platform. “This new partnership with Amazon is another great way to help small businesses reach more customers this holiday season.”
Launched in 2020 during the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the chamber’s online marketplace is a platform that allows all of Staten Island’s small businesses — regardless of chamber membership — to list and sell their products online at no cost.
A ONE-STOP SHOP
Part of the national “Shop Where I Live” initiative that creates marketplace websites in partnership with chambers of commerce and economic development organizations to help local small businesses sell online together, creating a one-stop shop for their community to buy local, the concept is categorized by the motto “where Main Street meets the internet.” The program currently operates marketplace websites in 16 states with 38 different community site partners — Staten Island being one of them.
“There are over 60 vendors on the site — all mom-and-pop shops — that sell very Staten Island specific items,” Baran said. “Any business can sell here for free, and with free shipping being offered by Amazon until the end of the year, it really is a great tool for small businesses to use this holiday season.”
Dubbed Small Business Holiday Express, the site’s Amazon partnership represents a very modern version of Small Business Saturday, putting Staten Island-centric goods in the hands of borough consumers who don’t have to leave their living room to shop local.
Launched by American Express in amid the recession in 2010, Small Business Saturday encourages buyers to do a portion of their holiday shopping at local shops, not just big-box retailers. The post-Thanksgiving event has produced some big results for small business owners, and a recent LendingTree survey shows that nearly half of Americans intend to shop small this year, with an average expected spend of $305. By allowing shoppers to shop locally online and providing free, fast local delivery for the “Shop Staten Island” service, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce is keeping pace with shifting consumer habits.
“Today, products from small- and medium-sized businesses account for more than half of everything sold in Amazon’s store,” said Carley Graham Garcia, Amazon’s NYC head of external affairs. “Their success is our success, and we’re proud of the role we’ve played in helping so many small businesses thrive. ‘Shop Staten Island’ is another innovative channel for local entrepreneurs to reach more customers, scale their operations and create local jobs — and we’re pleased to support this initiative.”
Owners of Élan Hair & Nails, a full-service salon at 1605 Forest Ave. that sells hair-care items and gift cards on the site, said they have benefited greatly from the service, which has allowed them to expand their reach.
“We were struggling last year after being closed for three months,” said Stacie Koutras, who co-owns Élan Hair & Nails with her sister-in-law, Penny Koutros. “It really did help us get over that bump and keep going.”
Renee Sarno, owner of the Etsy shop, NYCrafts and the City, which produces unique Staten Island-focused apparel and accessories, said she agrees.
“‘Shop Staten Island’ gives small businesses a platform to connect with Staten Islanders and allows shoppers to find local small businesses they didn’t know existed,” Sarno said. “It’s also a great opportunity to shop from multiple stores in one place — no need to drive around the borough to find all of these unique items.”
“‘Shop Staten Island’ gives small businesses a platform to connect with Staten Islanders and allows shoppers to find local small businesses they didn’t know existed,” Sarno said. (Courtesy of Renee Sarno)
Owner of Yaymaker Staten Island, a business that hosts live paint and craft events, Sarno launched her Etsy shop during the pandemic while in-person gatherings were on hold.
“I was teaching virtually and delivering art kits all over Staten Island,” the artist said. “This business was born out of those deliveries.”
Sarno’s best seller? A Staten Island Ferry beanie hat with a pom-pom on top.
‘WE ALL LOVE THIS BOROUGH’
“I love the fact that people want to show Staten Island pride with all of these items,” she added. “These are things I’ve always wanted myself: shirts, mugs, beanies. We all love this borough, and now we have the swag to prove it.”
Cultural institutions like the Staten Island Museum and Casa Belvedere also sell on the site. Flagship Brewing Company offers beer and wearable merchandise, and Celebrate @ Snug Harbor sells gift tins, gourmet fruit and cheese boxes and more. You can even purchase collectibles from Hypno-Tronic Comics and homemade mozzarella from Novelli’s Pork Store in Oakwood.
“We are so grateful to the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce for making this opportunity available to local businesses,” said Janice Monger, president and CEO of the Staten Island Museum, which has brought in over $1,000 from its sales on the shop. “It came at a really challenging time for so many business owners and made the transition to e-commerce easy, accessible and importantly, affordable for participants. And the Holiday Express initiative with Amazon for free local shipping is a big plus. Museum Store sales on the platform are steady, with orders being fulfilled not only locally but across the boroughs and the country, which speaks to the chamber’s reach.”
Barron concluded: “It’s not just about Small Business Saturday and the holidays. When we support our small businesses in this area and they do well, the community benefits. They’re the ones that donate to the local Little Leagues, PTAs and other causes. It’s all about putting money in the hands of those of us who live here in Staten Island.”
All Staten Island small businesses can list products on Shop Staten Island for free. To start selling, visit Shop Staten Island at https://statenisland.shopwhereilive.com/ and click on the “Sell on the Marketplace” tab to begin creating your own storefront. You can also follow Shop Staten Island’s Facebook and Instagram pages for more details.
“It’s not just about Small Business Saturday and the holidays. When we support our small businesses in this area and they do well, the community benefits," said Linda Baran, president and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. A Staten Island Ferry beanie hat with a pom-pom on top is a best seller at Sarno's Etsy shop. (Courtesy of Renee Sarno)