Local small businesses hoping for big sales Saturday

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Local businesses want you to buy from them now that the holiday shopping season is in full swing. The goal of  "Small Business Saturday" is to give them a boost in customers.

“We can't compete with Black Friday, but hopefully shop small will be the competition today,” said Marc Baudendistel, who owns AntiquiTeas in Winter Garden.  

About 20 different vendors are set up in the Plant St. Market in Winter Garden. To get in the holiday spirit, many were offering discounts Saturday.

Cathy Ciullo says everything at her store, Our Nation’s Creations, was 10 percent off.

“Our mission is everything is made in the U.S. We vet all of our vendors. We have them sign documentation about the percentages of labor and materials done in the U.S. and we try and use a lot of small businesses,” she said.

Studies show that more people are paying attention to the push to buy local.

The National Federation of Independent Business and American Express says more than 95 million people shopped at small business on this day last year, which is up by 8 percent from the year before. The money is crucial for shop owners.

“It’s probably a very large portion of our business,” Ciullo said. “Probably 60 to 70 percent of our business is done just in the next two months.”

“The holiday season is huge. If we don't make our holiday, we don't make our year,” Baudendistel said.

Some shoppers prefer to keep their money local, instead of heading into the big box stores.

“It feels good supporting our local community and to see familiar faces weekly,” shopper Alysha Brunette said.