Local Shops See Big Turnout For Small Business Saturday

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- While the big box stores offer huge sales for Black Friday, small businesses offer things you can't find in a box.

Small businesses in South Minneapolis saw a big turnout for Small Business Saturday. Shoppers said they were looking for unique, one-of-a-kind gifts and wanted to support the local community.

"I pretty much only shop small," Mary Periolat said.

You won't see Periolat waiting in line for any doorbuster deals. She's been shopping small for her holiday gifts for the last five years.

"I like supporting the local shop owners," she said.

She tried a new one on her list Saturday -- the Carver Junk Company, in Minneapolis.

"It grabs people's attentions from outside," general manager Katie Slick said.

The original local store is in Carver, of course. But despite the name their locations feature anything but junk. Shoppers can find anything from handmade pillows, to painted furniture, to decorative pears.

"We have about 80 vendors in this store, so it's not even just supporting us and our families, it's also supporting all of our vendors' families as well," Slick said.

But if heading to the stores isn't for you, you can shop small right at your fingertips. Social media has launched several local businesses.

"The social media started to take off," Nicole Trigger said.

Trigger ran a blog called Live and Love Minnesota before launching the business 18 months ago.

She and other vendors were featured at the 50th And France Holiday Market.

Kimberly Senn created Senn & Sons, which sells woodsy themed artwork and soft goods inspired by her sons.

"Everything's really special," Senn said. "It's not mass produced, it's produced in Minneapolis."

So if you're looking for something special for loved ones young and old, try shopping small to find the best that the north has to offer.

Carver Junk Company is also donating a portion of their sales from gifts in their holiday guide to families in need.