Saturday, Nov. 29, is Small Business Saturday. The event, created 15 years ago through a partnership between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, encourages shoppers to do their holiday buying at small businesses rather than big-box stores.
Small businesses say they're especially vulnerable this year as rising costs take a toll, especially from tariffs.
Michelle Vargo, co-owner of Bliss, a gift boutique on Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado, says Small Business Saturday is one of their biggest sales days of the year and an opportunity to connect with customers about why supporting small retailers matters.
"From what I've talked to other small business owners, this year has been a difficult one, just from rise in overhead to staffing changes and everything's kind of tied in politically normally anyway, from legislation that we have to follow. So this year has been a tough one," Vargo said.
"So getting people to go out and educate them about why small businesses are important, because your dollar really rolls back into the community, and it's a way that you can honestly vote every day and support your community members."
Sarah Wood, director of the Small Business Development Center in Boulder County, said supporting small businesses has a ripple effect in the community.
"And when you're supporting small businesses, you're not just supporting, you know, someone with a retail storefront, you're supporting your neighbor. You're supporting the revenues that help provide the services to you as a resident," she said.
"And it is a way of driving your dollar directly back into your local economy and right back into your neighbor's bottom line, which really builds our community and helps our communities stay resilient through times of trouble."
This story was co-reported with Jack Armstrong of KGNU.
Copyright 2025 KGNU. This story was shared via Rocky Mountain Community Radio, a network of public media stations in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico, including KSJD.