Suburban businesses counter Black Friday with Small Business Saturday

As the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear this weekend, local business leaders are urging suburban shoppers to think small.

Big national stores and online retailers tend to be the stars of Black Friday and the ensuing weekend. But there is another option out there, they say.

“We want shoppers to visit the smaller businesses in their own communities,” Dawn Fletcher Collins, executive director of the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce, said Wednesday. “People are going to go to the malls and big stores — and I get that. But don't limit yourself to that. Check out what your community shops have to offer.”

Shopping at local business is an experience that can't be duplicated in any other type of outlet, business owners say.

“For us, it's all about making a connection with the customer,” said Rich Kurtin, manager of Games Plus in downtown Mount Prospect. Games Plus sells a variety of board games, role-playing games and other products.

“We try to add that extra special touch,” Kurtin said. “We have a room inside where people can play the games they've purchased. It creates a sense of community around the store that's pretty unique.”

Michael Formento, executive director of the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce, said that in many cases, when you shop at a local business you are dealing with the owner.

“That owner-customer experience is usually nicer and more attentive than what you'd get at a big-box store,” he said. “There's something very warm about it.”

To help spread the message, some suburban retailers are taking part in Small Business Saturday, a celebration of Main Street shopping that takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The event was launched in 2010 by American Express. Participating merchants are given access to a number of free promotional materials to boost their profiles and attract customers. The event has gotten a big push from the U.S. Small Business Administration this year.

For a searchable map of participants from the suburbs, go to smallbusinesssaturday.com.

Michael Martin, owner of Le Peep Cafe in downtown Mount Prospect, said he participates because “every little bit helps.”

“I look at it as another way to get people to come to the downtown and to the restaurant,” he said. “It doesn't cost the merchants anything, and it adds to our marketing.”

Michael Mertes, business development coordinator for Arlington Heights, said residents here are generally supportive of local shops in the downtown and other key shopping districts. But challenges remain, he said, citing the growth of online shopping.

Mertes cites studies that show roughly two-thirds of the money spent at small businesses stays in the local economy. Online shopping offers no such benefit, he said.

“In addition to everything else that small-business shopping offers, doing it means you're actually helping to reinvest in the community,” he said.