Small Business Saturday to offer deals at mom-and-pop shops

As big box retailers get ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many are reminding shoppers not to forget Small Business Saturday as a way to support smaller shops.

The Thanksgiving weekend is one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year, with many retailers offering lower prices on different items.

Many shoppers may think of Black Friday and Cyber Monday first, but Charlie Owens of the National Federation of Independent Business is reminding shoppers of Small Business Saturday.

"It was first observed in 2010 during the holidays, and it is the counterpart to those big events, Black Friday and Cyber Monday," Owens told The Center Square. "Those two events tend to feature more big box stores and large online retailers."

Owens said Illinois and other states have small businesses that can offer as much as, if not more than, some big retailers.

"They're going to have great deals," Owens said. "The real important thing is lots of times they will have products you don't find in those other two venues."

Many small businesses rely on this holiday weekend, he said.

"I can tell you that for a lot of retailers, they will do anywhere between 60% and 90% of their gross receipts during the last three months of the year due to the holidays," Owens said.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, consumers spend an estimated $184 billion on Small Business Saturday.