TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Nearly 187 million Americans are expected to shop from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, according to the National Retail Federation, making this the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
While major retailers like Walmart and Target offer significant deals, local businesses are encouraging shoppers to consider Small Business Saturday as an opportunity to support their communities.
"It's all about having something handcrafted, local with intentions. Now, more than ever, people are needing to be more intentional and pay attention to where they're spending their money," said Libby Tobey from Popcycle, a small business on Fourth Avenue.
Pop Cycle has been selling items from over 100 other small businesses in and around Tucson since 2008. Tobey said she's noticed more shoppers choosing local options during Black Friday weekend.
"We've seen the shift in more people in the last 8 to 10 years going more and more local, and I think each year, it gets more and more—thank goodness— more and more is coming back to going local," Tobey said.
Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 during a recession to encourage Americans to support local shops. According to Local First Arizona, an organization dedicated to improving economic development in the state, for every $100 spent locally, $43 stays in the local economy.
Shoppers have several options to shop local this weekend. On Saturday at 9 a.m., artists across the region will set up booths at Reid Park's Arts and Crafts Fair. On Sunday, the annual Made in Tucson Market runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Tucson Coalition Space.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
