‘Momand Pop’ take center stage

Shoppers take advantage of Small Business Saturday for holiday bargains

Saturday, Nov. 26 is a day to be “small-minded” when it comes to where you spend your money.

It’s Small Business Saturday, a day that “little guys” can call their own and hopefully rely on shoppers who aren’t all tapped out from Black Friday.

Although hitting the mom and pop shops for your holiday needs now seems like a natural thing to do to many folks, shoppers didn’t always make a conscious decision to “shop small.”

Not too long ago, places like boutique shops, antique stores, neighborhood hardware stores, bike shops and other small businesses were hurting from a lack of customers during the holiday season.

And so, Small Business Saturday was born in 2010.

Ironically, the postThanksgiving anti-mall event was started by a giant corporation, American Express, as a response to Black Friday and, to a lesser extent, Cyber Monday, which had gotten its official start five years earlier.

Although sandwiched between two days of intensive buying, Small Business Saturday has now earned its stripes as a holiday tradition for more nearly 100 million shoppers, according to last year’s estimate by sponsor American Express.

Every year the buzz seems to gain a little more momentum.

In 2011, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution of support for Small Business Saturday.

The following year, gov- ernors and mayors in every state, along with President Obama, championed Small Business Saturday.

In 2013, the movement expanded to a Neighborhood Champions chapter, made up of business associations, state and local chambers of commerce and other community organizations who began creating events like street fairs and block parties around the big day to mobilize shoppers and generate enthusiasm.

Local businesses were encouraged to set up popup shops or tables at various spots to sell or promote their wares.