KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Many shoppers made their lists, checked them twice and braved the cold and the crowds on Black Friday.
But for small businesses, the most important shopping day of the year may not be Black Friday but Small Business Saturday.
Unfortunately, with more shoppers comes more theft. Mindy Diaz, the owner of both Design in the City KC locations at The Village at Briarcliff and in Brookside, said in the week leading up to the holiday, store cameras caught a woman stuffing clothing from the boutique into her purse.
Diaz told 41 Action News she filed a police report and also posted the surveillance video online.
"I want people to know that if they're going to steal from me, they're going to be put on Facebook or social media,” Diaz said. “Hopefully, they won't come in and steal from me.”
Unlike big box stores, small businesses have a harder time recovering from theft, Diaz said, especially on top of competing with online shopping.
With two local boutiques, Diaz said she's hoping to remain open for years to come, but she needs help from the community.
"You know, they're not going to be around if you don't shop at them," Diaz said.
Diaz opened the first Design in the City KC location 14 years, and two years ago, she opened the store in Brookside. She said Small Business Saturday is the busiest day of the year for the boutique.
