Black Friday may be one of the biggest shopping days of the year, but not everyone wants to hit the mall or big-box stores. No matter how good the deals are.
If you’re not interested in doorbusters or long lines, but still want to get some shopping done during the holiday weekend, Small Business Saturday might be for you.
What is Small Business Saturday?
American Express launched the first Small Business Saturday in 2010 to highlight locally-owned brick and mortar businesses in between the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping frenzy.
Local businesses have trouble competing with big box stores and online retailers in price-cuts, but they benefit their communities by keeping money local, providing jobs and more.
The idea behind SBS and the Shop Small movement that stemmed from it is simple — support independent businesses.
Each year, American Express helps participating businesses with free marketing materials and online promotion.
Which Businesses Participate?
To “officially” participate in SBS and get the American Express perks, businesses must first accept the credit card for purchases — which excludes a lot of small businesses.
Find participating businesses near you through the American Express Shop Small map.
Small businesses country-wide benefit from the campaign. The SBS buzz reminds shoppers of the benefits of local shops — and, in some cases, reminds them they exist.
Want to know whether your favorite local business will be celebrating on the 28th, even if it’s not participating in the American Express campaign? Ask someone at the store. It’s a nice benefit of a small business — the small staff usually knows what’s going on!
In addition, look for events in your community.
Your local Chamber of Commerce may have information about what’s happening in neighborhoods around your city. Some stores or restaurants host special events — many have sales in the spirit of Black Friday weekend.
“Larimer Square is Denver’s most popular and treasured block,” explains a representative from AILLEA, a beauty retailer on the block. “[It’s] home to a collection of independent retailers, small businesses and chef-driven restaurants. The block is also celebrating a milestone 50th anniversary of historic preservation this year.”
AILLEA is partnering with local groups and planning a “Shop for A Cause” event to offer residents a way to give back to the community while they shop.
What’s happening near you? Here are a few more SBS community events we found around the U.S. on Saturday, November 28.
Portland, Oregon
Five years ago, Portland-based jewelry-maker Betsy Cross and her partner at betsy & iya created Little Boxes, a “Black Friday and (SBS) event for local retail shops.”
“We saw a need for a spotlight to be shone on the smaller local shops in our city on a day historically known as the biggest shopping day of the year,” Cross explains.
The event features “a huge prize raffle and cross-promotional discount.” Over 200 Portland shops participated in 2014 and more are expected this year.
“People who typically avoided the hubbub of big box shopping on Black Friday, now spend their time and money perusing our shops on those days; and people who love the door buster sales, come to our shops after,” Cross says.
“It’s a massive coming together of the community and something that has helped our shops’ bottom lines as we dive into the holiday season.”
Coral Springs, Florida
The Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce organizes a scavenger hunt each year to celebrate small businesses.
Community members get a list of clues to help them find specific items at participating businesses in the area.
When you find each object, post a selfie with it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and hashtag #cschamberSBS along with the name of the business. Each submission counts as an entry into a drawing for an unspecified prize.
Tipton, Iowa
Local businesses in Tipton participate in SBS with discounts and special activities. Festivities abound, so check with your favorite businesses to see what they’re doing!
Popular past activities include Crescents with Mrs. Claus, book signings, wine tastings, cookie decorating, face painting and the Very Merry Vendor Fair.
SBS in Tipton is also the day of the Old Cedar County Jail’s Holiday Open House and Bake Sale — where the kids can meet Mrs. Claus and take “jail wagon” rides around the historic jailhouse.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Writers, poets and lyricists, stop by Title Waves Books in Albuquerque on November 28 between 12-4 p.m. for an open mic.
The bookstore will celebrate all day, with sales from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and refreshments in the afternoon.
We recommend catching the free live entertainment to get in the holiday spirit!
Denver, Colorado
In addition to the Shop for a Cause event, stores in Denver are celebrating SBS with special discounts and events.
Santa will be on the square Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and volunteers from St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital will offer gift wrapping services for hospital donations.
Look for these deals! At AILLEA, you can get a complimentary “mini-makeover touchup” and 20% off all weekend. Wax, Eve, Moda Man and The Bent Lens are also offering freebies, and Cry Baby Ranch is offering 26% off all weekend to celebrate its 26th anniversary.
And when you need a break from shopping, sit down at Tom’s Urban and show your Larimer Square purchase — they’ll give you a free drink!
More Ways to Save and Support Small Businesses
Want more ways to support local businesses?
These are just a few communities celebrating Small Business Saturday®. Check out your local businesses, Chamber of Commerce and the AmEx Shop Small Map for events and sales in your area.
If nothing’s happening in your community, here are a couple more ways to save when you shop local businesses this holiday season.
Look for Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals
In addition to SBS, many small businesses also are offering in-store and online deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Fitlosophy, an Orange County, California–based lifestyle company focused on health and business, launches new products to kick off the holiday season.
“For Black Friday, Fitlosophy launches new black products every year in celebration of the sales — such as the Fitbook black, black protein shaker, etc. in years past,” a Fitlosophy representative explains. “This year, a new Fitgear apparel design will be launched to celebrate Black Friday. Finally, Cyber Monday is celebrated with free shipping promotional codes.”
You might not see products at the doorbuster prices big box retailers are offering, but you’ll likely find better quality and more unique items at local stores.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals could push these items into your price range and give you the chance to support local business.
Lisa Chu of online children’s formalwear company Black N Bianco says, “The key to a successful holiday sale like Black Friday is to stay organized because it’s guaranteed things will get a little hectic …Competition is fierce and in order to stand out from the crowd, I always educate our customers on what items will go up for sale.”
Follow your local businesses online, on social media and in person to get early tips about sales. Use this info to plan your holiday shopping and prepare your budget for Black Friday.
Use Your Cash-Back Credit Card
Increase any savings you find — make purchases with your cash-back rewards credit card.
Because SBS is sponsored by American Express, official participating businesses will accept their cards.
In years past, using an American Express card at these businesses also came with a statement credit — encouraging shoppers to Shop Small and use their card. However, there won’t be a credit this year.
Instead, use the card that will give you the best rewards. If you’re smart about your increased spending to prepare for the holidays, you can stack up a lot of rewards.
Choose your payment methods wisely, and make sure you can pay your bill in full by the end of the month to avoid interest!
Shop Small Saturday, November 28
Though they’re often forgotten in the shuffle, your local businesses can offer some great deals for holiday shopping. They also tend to have much more intimate events, a perfect way to connect with your community and get in the holiday spirit!
Your Turn: Do you shop local for the holidays? Will Small Business Saturday events and deals make you more likely to look for local businesses this year?
Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a Staff Writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Writer’s Digest and more. She’ll probably spend Black Friday weekend working on an elusive novel and eating ALL the leftover green bean casserole.
This post originally appeared on our special Black Friday site.
The post Keep It Local: Shop Small Business Saturday — Get in the Spirit and Save Money! appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.
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