Local businesses in downtown SLO offered incentives for Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is what locals consider the “Black Friday” for locally owned businesses.

“Black Friday is fun and everything,” said Jenny Gosnell, Blackwater manager. “But I think for us, Small Business Saturday is really fun.”

Blackwater is a Christmas store in downtown San Luis Obispo.

This year, Gosnell says they’re trying harder than ever to compete with Black Friday deals at big box stores.

“If you spend a certain amount, you get a tote bag,” said Gosnell. “If you spend another certain amount, you get a gift card. It’s just a push to get more gifts.”

Other local stores like Ambiance are also offering incentives.

“We gear up for the holidays in terms of September and October in terms of having products,” Kannyn January, CEO of Ambiance, said.

Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 and is now an important part of the holiday shopping season for small businesses.

“We depend on our local clients to make the holidays successful for small retailers and Black Friday has been hijacked by the big box retailers,” said January. “A lot of smaller retailers cannot compete with what they’re offering.”