The Shop Black City Tour comes to St. Louis this Saturday from 1–6 p.m. at Kiener Plaza. Almost 80 Black-owned businesses will offer their wares, in addition to food trucks, a DJ, and kid-friendly games.
Founded in 2019 by Nashville husband-and-wife team Greg and Tee Westbrook, the Shop Black City Tour is visiting 30 cities to provide a platform for Black-owned businesses across the country.
“We wanted to provide a consistent opportunity for Black-owned businesses to not only be able to make some money but also be able to scale their businesses and get to the next level,” says Greg Westbrook. “We felt like there was a void in our home city of Nashville,” so they set up an event. “The results we got were awesome, so we thought, ‘Let’s take this show on the road!’”
During the pandemic, they hosted a few virtual events, though they found it was no substitute for the real thing. “We’re actually digital marketers by trade,” Westbrook says. “We started Shop Black as a way to get people in front of their customers. We felt like a lot of people got on the internet and shouted their names from the rooftops, but there wasn’t a face-to-face connection.”
With sales, Westbrook explains, customers need to connect. It could be touching and seeing merchandise or getting to know the vendor. “A lot of times in small business, they’re buying from you because they like you or something you have to offer,” he says. “They can see that more clearly in person.”
And while the tour visits cities across the U.S. and largely focuses on local vendors, some small businesses come along for the ride. “There’s quite a few [vendors] from St. Louis who travel with us,” says Westbrook. “That’s one of the other advantages that we provide: If you’ve mastered the market in your local area and you want an opportunity in nearby cities, we provide that opportunity.”
Among the vendors that will be in attendance:
Food Trucks
Other Businesses
