Small Business Saturday is just around the corner on November 29, prompting many small merchants to make last-minute preparations for the big day.

The Cheeky Puppy, a recently opened pet store in Washington D.C.’s Dupont Circle, is bringing in one of its suppliers—TandECollarShop, a custom collar and leash maker from Virginia Beach, Virginia—to host a trunk show on Small Business Saturday. The trunk show is part of a new initiative between American Express and online marketplace Etsy to have small retailers team up with Etsy craft makers and offer customers a more diverse product mix on Small Business Saturday.

Courtney Stamm, owner of The Cheeky Puppy, told the Washington Business Journal that partnering with Etsy sellers can help small retailers stand out and compete against major retailers over the holiday season. "Small boutiques will never be able to compete with big box from [a] price perspective, but we can certainly outshine them with uniqueness and the thoughtful care with which we select our items," she said. 

In Greenwich, Connecticut, the local chamber of commerce has gotten involved in making Small Business Saturday a success for local merchants. This week, the chamber has been placing new welcome mats outside of the doors of downtown merchants. The hope is to make local shoppers feel welcome to shop small throughout the day.

"We want people to spend some money at local stores, but also have a nice breakfast, lunch or dinner at our local restaurants, make it a nice, daylong activity for your family," Marcia O’Kane, executive director of the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce, told the Greenwich Time.

Kean’s Store Company, a craft store in Mason, Michigan, has extended store hours on Small Business Saturday and has hired five seasonal workers to help out on the day and throughout the holiday season. Family members of Kean’s owner, Teresa Wren, will be on hand to help wrap customers’ gift purchases.

Wren says the store has seen large upticks in customer traffic on Small Business Saturday in past years. She believes its because consumers are starting to get the message: Spending money at local businesses makes a difference and helps support not just the business itself, but the local community as a whole.

"All the people that shop in here are local, and all my employees are local, and we're all supporting each other,” Wren told the Lansing State Journal.

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