2017 Northbrook Shopping Elf, Small Business Saturday Map

NORTHBROOK, IL — If you have the opportunity and you enjoy the small businesses that make up your community, it's a smart idea to make sure to shop local as much as possible for your holiday shopping. As big-box retailers move to dominate Black Friday and online sellers siphon up billions of dollars in business on Cyber Monday, don't forget about your local mom and pop stores, your neighborhood startups and your multi-generational family businesses.

That's why Small Business Saturday has caught on so quickly over the past seven years. The post-Black Friday, pre-Cyber Monday event has been growing every year. In 2016, 112 million shoppers came out and generated an estimated $15.4 billion for small business owners, according to self-reported data in a survey sponsored by the National Federation of Independent Businesses and American Express – the "founding sponsor" and registered trademark holder of the event.

Find all participating small businesses in Northbrook using this Shop Small map.

In Northbrook, the Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the village to promote local businesses and increase sales tax revenue. Its campaigns this year include "Nicki" the Northbrook Shopping Elf, who has provided special retail promotions to shoppers and diners via its Facebook page since 2014, and a new 30-second commercial with the tagline "Where Michigan Avenue Meets the North Shore."

See the new Northbrook television advertisement:

_{Top photo: Northbrook Shopping Elf | Courtesy Northbrook Chamber of Commerce}