BBB Offers Tips for Shopping Small this Saturday

After the crowds and chaos of the Black Friday sales, check out the small, local and independent businesses participating in Small Business Saturday (SBS), a day to celebrate small businesses and all they do for their communities.

According to the SBS Consumer Insights Survey, 95 million people shopped with small businesses on SBS. Better Business Bureau is pleased to support Small Business Saturday for the sixth year, and urges consumers to support small businesses in their community.

BBB offers the following tips when you “shop small” on Small Business Saturday:

Get involved. Many communities are hosting special events, and being involved in SBS shows that you support the businesses that make your community unique. Find out what local events are happening in your area on the Small Business Saturday website.

Do your research. Check out businesses ahead of time and find out what past customers have to say at bbb.org. Find out what stores and businesses in your area are participating in Small Business Saturday by going to shopsmall.org.

Sign-up for email alerts. Many stores have Small Business Saturday specials just for people who have signed up to receive their emails.

Check social media. Many small businesses will advertise their SBS sales via social media, so be sure to check your favorite small businesses on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Use #ShopSmall to search for information or to share plans with your friends.

Ask for gift receipts and save warranty information. A gift receipt can be tucked into a gift item or card so that the recipient can return or exchange a gift if it’s not just right. Be sure to pass along any information about returns, exchanges, repairs, and warranties to the person who will use the item.

For more information you can trust, visit us at bbb.org/boston or like us on Facebook.

ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses and brands they can trust. In 2015, people turned to BBB more than 172 million times for BBB Business Reviews on more than 5.3 million businesses, all available for free at bbb.org.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as home to its national and international programs on dispute resolution, advertising review, and industry self-regulation. BBB Serving Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont was founded in 1920.

Paula Fleming is Chief Marketing & Sales Officer for Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT. Find Paula on Google+.