CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Local business owners are hoping people aren't too tired to shop after the Black Friday craze.
The Saturday after Thanksgiving is 'Small Business Saturday.' With a busy shopping weekend anticipated by the National Retail Federation, small business owners are hoping to get in on the action.
"What we like to do is just see that overall upward trend. So that's what we are seeing, that's what we hope to do. And the more people support local businesses the more that upward trajectory is going," said Nikki Riojas the owner of Made in Corpus Christi.
Her small shop lives up to its name. By carrying all things local, they're able to support locals too.
"We really like to focus on locally made and sourced items. So, we work with about 30 different designers, makers, and creatives here in the Coastal Bend, and anything we don't personally make here in-house we source from local vendors," said Riojas.
Riojas is also the founder of the Shop Small Crawl, an event that promotes the support of local movement on Small Business Saturday.
This year will be her fourth time organizing the event. It starts on Saturday, Nov.26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are eight locations participatingwith more than 50 vendors and prizes for participants.
The business owner said, "That's a way to keep spreading the word about other small businesses in town."
You'll be able to find hidden gems, like A. Kenney Jewelry. The locally-owned business is one of the eight locations hosting a variety of pop-ups for the crawl.
"I think it's going to be very very successful. I already have lots of people asking about it, hearing about it," the owner of A. Kenney Jewelry, Ashley Kenney said,
She said business overall is expected to be good this year, with holiday sales already up.
However, both business owners said all locally owned establishments could always use extra support. They said, that support doesn't just help a local family put food on the table, a lot of money they make goes back to the local community.
"Local businesses are the silent leaders of our community. I'm on the Silent Auction Committee of New Life Refuge Ministries, and I can tell you everyone donating to this ministry is a local business." Kenney said.
"Your roads, your schools, your tax dollars. When you stay local, if you are spending here, you are keeping money in the community you are living in. And that contributes to the overall well-being of an entire city," Riojas added,
According to American Express, 67 cents of every dollar spent at a small business goes back to the local community.
