Every year, shoppers hit the aisles on Black Friday to find the best deals for the holidays. However, a different trend has been emerging over the past 10 years — Small Business Saturday.

Small Business Saturday encourages consumers to forgo shopping at large chain stores in favor of local businesses, and takes place the Saturday following Thanksgiving.

American Express began the initiative in 2010, and says $120 billion has been spent over the decade. The company offers businesses free personalized ads and swag to promote their sales. Small Business Saturday has grown along with online shopping, which studies say may be the secret to Black Friday’s success. While fewer shoppers are braving the elements, crowds and early mornings to go shopping on Black Friday, many are hitting their keyboards for online sales.

“Small Business Saturday is popular because there’s this patriotic and civic duty associated with supporting local businesses, and maybe rounding up some friends and family and hitting the stores,” Senior Industry Analyst for Bankrate.com Ted Rossman said.

Bankrate.com conducts customer surveys.

A Bankrate.com survey showed that Small Business Saturday comes in second in preferred holiday sales, with Cyber Monday in first and Black Friday trailing both. Ellsworth businesses took part in the event, and it turned out well.

“It was pretty busy. We did fairly well; I can’t complain,” Petal Place owner Angie Rolfs said.

Rolfs offered a storewide sale, as well as a free sachet to customers.

“We’re going around the store today and restocking,” Rolfs said. “I think a lot of people shop local. It supports our families and stays local in Ellsworth, and I think that’s a good thing.”

Shopping locally offers a way to not only support specific businesses, but also communities, impacting them positively. On average, for every dollar spent at a small business, 67 cents of that dollar will stay in the local community according to Farm Bureau Financial Services.

In addition to assisting local schools and organizations through sales tax, these local mom-and-pop stores are often the ones found supporting those very same teams and organizations. They are also likely employing local residents in their businesses.

“We have wonderful customers all year long, and there are some customers who come and patronize our store for that specific weekend,” Robson’s Card & Gift Shop Owner Alice Robson said.

Robson said the weekend went well, but that it’s more than just financial transactions.

“We enjoy the conversations we have with our customers and seeing them get ready for the holiday season,” Robson said. “I think they like coming back to the small towns of their childhood and bringing their families, and we enjoy that too.”

“We enjoy the conversations we have with our customers and seeing them get ready for the holiday season. I think they like coming back to the small towns of their childhood and bringing their families, and we enjoy that too.”

Alice Robson

Robson’s Card & Gift Shop owner