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Small Business Saturday Encourages Local Shopping For Holidays

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Right in the middle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is Small Business Saturday, a national push to get more customers to shop at local small businesses.

"A lot of people walking around," said Steven Pera, PeraDice Cards & Gifts. "We couldn't be happier."

Small Business Saturday appears to be working fabulously in midtown Sacramento. Shoppers are buying in on the idea.

"It keeps them alive," shopper Marci Ashley said.

Thousands of small shops and stores across the country took part in the event, offering discounts and other extras as they encouraged people to shop small, rather than at big box stores.

"The big boxes are nice; but smaller stores, you get a lot of variety and things coming in, and I think it feeds downtown real well," said Ashley.

Across the country, local stores were getting in on the shopping frenzy. They offered unique items to help neighbors keep their jobs by keeping the money close to home.

Many Sacramento merchants are using social media to reach their target shoppers.

"It gets people engaged, gets them through the door," said Pera.

So how did Small Business Saturday fair in the Central Valley?

"It's a little too early to tell at this point, but always got to be optimistic," small business owner Leuren Lundsten said. "We're hoping we're more important to them than Walmart."

More than 500,000 small businesses across the country are participating.

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