Getting a good laugh when you’re out shopping can certainly help ease the stress of the holiday rush, but when you shop local, you’re also helping the local economy, and that may be why Small Business Saturday is gaining in popularity. Joe McHarris is the Owner of Artisan’s Corner in Clinton.

"Small Business Saturday is a great day for local people to shop local small shops. People that are in the community that own stores, that rely on the local customer base, and to get an experience that they wouldn’t necessarily get in either big box stores, malls, internet shopping."

Clinton Resident Marlene Williams thinks smaller mom and pop stores are also able to offer a one-on-one experience.

"You can’t find anybody to wait on you in the big stores. This is what I’m finding."
Clinton Resident Carol Jubenville thinks small business provide an opportunity to see and feel the items that interest the buyer. 

"There’s so many opportunities to come here and take a look at what’s going on in small business in the area, and I love to be able to come out here and see what’s new."

'Almost Local' shop Owner Rachel Bartunek talked about how local shops are more than willing to go the extra mile to provide local shoppers with a personal experience.

"Small Business Saturday is great for us because it means that we’re connecting with people in our community."

Small Business Saturday may be a good time to come out and catch up with some people you haven’t seen in a while, but more importantly it gives the local mom and pop businesses an economic boost. 'Kriziamartin' is another Clinton shop where Owner Corrine Gates depends on the local shoppers. 

"For us Small Business Saturday is a big economic boost. Like I said, people are coming specifically looking out for smaller stores rather than running to the malls, so it definitely… we’ve seen the numbers over the years increase on this Saturday."

If you do have some holiday shopping left to do, you may want to think about visiting your local stores, and what it means to the local economy.