Small Business Saturday is around the corner

The Independent We Stand organization is at it again, promoting small businesses. The nationwide movement of independent small business owners has created an app to help consumers shop on Small Business Saturday, coming up Nov. 25.

“Our goal is for small businesses to come out on top after the holiday shopping season,” said Bill Brunelle, co-founder of Independent We Stand. “To do that, we make consumer access to small businesses convenient and easy through this app, that way shoppers can support their favorite businesses and in turn, their communities, not just on Small Business Saturday but year-round.”

Each year, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, consumers make a positive impact on their communities by shopping small in their neighborhoods and the numbers show it:

• In 2016, an estimated 112 million consumers reported shopping at small businesses on Small Business Saturday, marking a 13 percent increase from 2015, according to the National Federation of Independent Business.

• This year, the National Retail Federation forecasts a 3.6 to 4-percent increase in holiday retail sales.

With the new app. Consumers now have a convenient way to make shopping small even easier. The Independent We Stand Buy Local app turns mobile devices into small business store finders. The app is designed to enhance the user experience by helping shoppers discover unique locally owned shops and restaurants, read helpful reviews and recommendations and look for local events, concerts and festivals, among other things.

The Buy Local app filters out big box stores and delivers millions of locally owned listings nationwide and is available for both Android and Apple devices.

Merchants and consumers can learn more about Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting ShopSmall.com or IndependentWeStand.org. The Independent We Stand movement is sponsored by Stihl Inc. Associate sponsors include PPG Pittsburgh Paints and Do it Best Corp.