Small Business Saturday Promotes Shopping Local

Just one day after the largest shopping day of the year, Saturday will mark a departure from the large-retailer-centric holiday shopping season and will instead shift the focus to small businesses in Redondo Beach and across the country.

The nationwide event, known as Small Business Saturday, is now in its second year and encourages shoppers to put locally-owned small businesses first when considering their shopping needs.   

Started by American Express last year, shoppers who spend at least $25 on their American Express cards at qualifying small businesses on Saturday will receive a $25 credit on their billing statement. 

The campaign has small business owners such as Nathan Rosh, owner of , hopeful for some extra traffic to his shop in the Riviera Village.

"People in Redondo are really for [Small Business Saturday]," said Rosh.  "Our customers have called a few times and asked if we are doing anything for Saturday," he said.

Rosh said he plans on offering 50 percent discounts Saturday on select products in his store, including candles, body care products and bath salts.

Just a few blocks away from Rosh's shop, will see a visit from local U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn (CA-36) who will shop at various small businesses in Redondo Beach in support of Small Business Saturday. 

Rep. Hahn, who called small businesses "the backbone of the national economy," also pointed out that local businesses account for 60-80 percent of the new jobs created each year in the United States.

For a small business like Rosh's, though, plenty of big box competition exists in the South Bay area including large retailers such as , Sephora and the new store in the South Bay Marketplace. Despite the competition, Rosh says he has found Redondo Beach shoppers to be supportive of locally owned businesses.

"People say they would rather come here than go to Nordstrom or Sephora, just because of that one-on-one experience that we give them," said Rosh. 

If the Small Business Saturday Facebook page is any indication of the nationwide barometer for the campaign, Saturday looks to be a popular shopping day for small businesses.  The page has well over 2.5 million "likes" as of Friday evening.