Building on the wonderful success of last year’s efforts in 2025, The Campbell’s Company and American Water expanded their commitment to local entrepreneurship by hosting a Valentine’s Day Bazaar on February 12 at their respective headquarters. The strong turnout and positive impact of prior Buy Camden 1st activations inspired the creation of this year’s Valentine’s Day event — officially marking the first Buy Camden 1st initiative event of 2026.

Designed to spotlight and support Camden-based small businesses, the Valentine’s Day Bazaar brought together employees, local leaders, and entrepreneurs for a day of shopping and community engagement. In total, 11 local vendors participated — eight hosted at The Campbell’s Company headquarters and three at American Water’s headquarters — offering handcrafted gifts, specialty items, sweet treats, and other Valentine’s Day favorites.

LAEDA played a key role in the event’s success by assisting in coordinating and securing local vendors. Through its ongoing work supporting small business development in Camden, LAEDA helped ensure a diverse and dynamic group of entrepreneurs were represented at both locations.

Throughout the day, employees eagerly browsed vendor tables, purchasing gifts while directly investing in Camden’s small business community. The event proved to be a tremendous success, generating over $6,000 in sales for participating vendors in just a few hours. The strong sales reflected both the buying power of corporate employees and the growing enthusiasm behind the Buy Camden 1st movement.

A highlight of the event was the attendance of Victor Carstarphen, Mayor of Camden. Mayor Carstarphen visited each vendor personally, engaging in conversation, learning about their products and services, and thanking them for their role in strengthening the city’s local economy. His presence reinforced the City’s ongoing commitment to small business growth and cross-sector collaboration.

By hosting the bazaar inside their headquarters, The Campbell’s Company and American Water demonstrated how corporate partners can play an active role in economic empowerment. The event not only generated meaningful revenue but also fostered valuable connections between entrepreneurs and a broader customer base.

As the first Buy Camden 1st event of 2026, the Valentine’s Day Bazaar set a strong and celebratory tone for the year ahead. Inspired by 2025’s success, strengthened by LAEDA’s coordination efforts, and propelled by continued community partnership, the initiative is poised for another impactful year of supporting Camden’s small businesses and strengthening the local economy.