Shop Small This Fall with Extra Norwood Center Tradition

2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Small Business Saturday, aka Shop Small Saturday, created by American Express.  I think it is safe to say that no one at AMEX could have possibly imagined putting on a Shop Small Saturday in the midst of a pandemic!  In two years, Norwood will be celebrating its 150th anniversary.  Some of us have been researching Norwood history to make sure that we honor everyone who contributed to this proud history.
 
The light bulb went off over a few heads!  Let’s make Shop Small Saturday into Shop Small This Fall and encourage people to prioritize shopping at Norwood Center’s oldest small businesses.  Here’s how that could work for several categories of businesses.
 
Norwood Theater, founded in 1927, is the oldest place in Norwood Center where you go and interact with people who teach or entertain you.  It has postponed all its shows until next year and even the box office has suspended operations.  Many similar operations, from bowling alleys, dance studios, and driving classes, to hair and nail salons, may also have to curtail operations due to the pandemic.  If so, what they need most from us is a promise to turn out in force as soon as they reopen, and support those that are opened safely.  So let’s give it to them!
 
Restaurants and bars have only recently reopened for on-site dining and are under much more restrictive rules than the old normal.  Now that Norwood’s back in the red zone, it won’t be surprising if even that is suspended, possibly by the time you read this blog.  That still leaves curbside takeout and delivery.  Norwood Center’s oldest restaurant, the Olde Colonial Café (opened in 1934), has curbside takeout.   Our second oldest restaurant, Lewis’s Bar and Grille (1939), has curbside takeout and delivery, as well as iconic drinks and burgers.  What better way to support Shop Small This Fall, while honoring Norwood Center rich history and staying safe?
 
Norwood Bank (founded in 1889) is the oldest small business in Norwood Center.  Three insurance firms – Morrill Group Insurance (1879), Foley Palenscar Schortmann Insurance (1936), and Dempsey Insurance (1947) – also rank among the oldest small businesses in Norwood Center.  If this doesn’t sound like a conventional place to shop, then you must not have seen any of the terrific TV ads Dempsey has been airing for the past several months.  Long story short, the pandemic’s effect on the economy – and especially on your personal economy – makes this an excellent time to see whether your financial arrangements make sense for your current situation. 
 
Your choice of checking and savings accounts, your mortgage terms, and the specs for your insurance, all could use a check-up and possibly some modifications.  Where better than at these time-tested institutions, the youngest of which is over 70 years old?  As for COVID safety, you will probably find that you can’t just walk in but will need an appointment, which will allow them to sanitize the space in advance and configure the space so you can distance yourself from anyone you’re not working with directly.
 
Finally, let’s talk about Norwood Center’s veteran retail stores.  The six oldest are all in very different businesses, and so you can patronize them all and never duplicate an order. 

1. Kappy’s Coins & Stamps.  I’ve been wanting to sing the praises of this Norwood Center gem for a long time.  Since 1976, Kappy’s has been serving the needs of serious, casual and first-time collectors.  Surveys estimate there are 1.5 million casual stamp collectors in the country and a quarter-million serious stamp collectors.  That translates into about 150 casual stamp collectors and 25 serious stamp collectors in Norwood.  That’s a lot of people, who might be on your gift list.  I can’t find any surveys for coin collectors, but conservative estimates by knowledgeable people suggest serious coin collectors are slightly more numerous than serious stamp collectors, while casual coin collectors are at least twice as numerous as casual stamp collectors.  Put them all together, and you’re talking around 500 Norwoodians who would definitely appreciate a gift from Kappy’s, and there are almost certainly a lot of kids who would be interested if offered the opportunity.  That’s when I got into coin collecting – a hobby for decades – and briefly into stamp collecting. 

 

1. Day Street Sports Shop.  Anyone who has seen me knows that I am not big into sports or fitness.  If I were, though, Day Street (founded 1972) would be the first place I’d stop.  If you are an aspiring or actual player, you should go there, too.  Listen to some Yelp reviewers:  “This is a really nice small sports store.  I go in here to pick up Bauer wooden  goalie sticks, as most big stores won’t carry them.”  “Had to give this place a great review because when you call, you actually talk to a person.”  “I can only imagine the service from people like them would make for happy and local customers.”

 

1. Broadway Liquors.  Norwood Center has a lot of liquor stores, but there is only one Broadway Liquors, founded way back in 1963.  They are well stocked with a wide variety of beer (including nearby craft brands), wine and spirits.  One Yelp reviewer said this:  “Has all you would expect from a liquor store.”

 

1. Lustra Cleaners.  Lustra Cleaners has been handling every type of clothing and fabric cleaning need since 1962.  They have been a regular supporter of Shop Small Saturday since its inception, which gets them extra points from me.  Their most recent Yelp review says it all:  “Absolutely the best cleaners around!  Great service!  All is on premise!  They even have a tailor on site!  Family owned and operated.”  (All those exclamation points are from the reviewer.  No hype from me.)

 

1. Babel’s Paint and Decorating (now National Lumber & Babel’s).  Vic and Jeanne Babel have been leaders in the Norwood small business community.  Vic got out of the business, founded in 1950, shortly after the untimely passing of Jeanne, who was one of the founders and early presidents of the Friends of Norwood Center.  The name says paint, but you may not know just how much is covered by “decorating”.  Blinds, shades, curtain fabric, and anything else needed for window treatments are included.  At the front end, they have design professionals to help you make your choices, and at the back end, they have experienced installers.

 

1. Eagle Shoe Repair.  Since 1936, this three-generation store has been about so much more than shoes and so much more than repair.  Listen to two Yelp reviewers from this year:  “I grew up in Norwood and my family has always brought our shoes to Eagle.  It’s FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED and they strive for perfection and customer satisfaction.  [t]hey can also sew the patches on leather vests, replace/fix handbag zippers, replace soles and heels …, at reasonable pries that don’t break the bank.  Your loss if you don’t at least try them.”  “Nice people… has a lot of items you can’t find at stores…real gem if you’re into taking care of leather goods like from thrift stores like I am…the man behind the counter is very knowledgeable.”

​Submitted by John R. Hall, Jr.