Small Business Saturday 2024 In Alexandria: See Sales, Deals

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Saturday, Nov. 30, is a crucial day for independently owned local businesses in Alexandria. It’s Small Business Saturday, the kickoff to “shop small” events that emphasize the power of dollars spent in local communities.

Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is sandwiched between the major Black Friday retail shopping holiday, which tends to favor national brands, and Cyber Monday, an online shopping event that this year takes place on Dec. 2.

Alexandria has more than 100 locally-owned boutiques, many of which are in Old Town’s King Street corridor. On Nov. 30, independently-owned businesses will have free gifts with purchases, including the Genuis Genus, fibre space, Pippin Toy Co., Pacers, Boxwood, Tulusa at Boxwood, Penny Post, Aiyana Atelier, Red Barn Mercantile, Patina Polished Living, Made in ALX, The Shoe Hive, 529 Kids Consign, Mint Condition, Old Town Books, Monday’s Child, ERA and She’s Unique.

The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership has a full list of locally-owned businesses based in Alexandria.

Since it started in 2010, consumers have reported spending an estimated $163 billion at small businesses across all 12 Small Business Saturdays combined.

There are 854,172 small businesses in Virginia that make up an estimated 99.6 percent of the state’s businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 state profiles. Small businesses employ 1.5 million people, an estimated 46 percent of Virginia’s employees.

Local businesses depend on increased sales in the last few months of the year to help them reach their revenue goals, and you’ll find plenty of in-store cheer and holiday happenings that will make the shopping experience fun.

Locally owned businesses recirculate a far greater percentage of revenue locally compared to absentee-owned businesses, according to the American Independent Business Alliance. Independents return about 48 percent of their revenues back into the local economy, compared to 14 percent returned to the local economy by chains.

Small businesses are typically defined by the federal government as those with fewer than 500 employees.

They are responsible for two of every three jobs over the past 25 years. Even a partial collapse of small businesses could weaken the overall U.S. economy, according to the Labor Department.