MISSION HILLS (NEWS 8) - Black Friday is over, but shoppers can still find deals this weekend during Small Business Saturday.
American Express started the shop local event in 2010, to encourage people to buy within their community. The credit card services company said that since Small Business Saturday started, U.S. customers have reported spending an estimated total of $85 billion at independent retailers.
According to American Express, for every dollar spent a local shop, 67 cents stay in the community.
At a San Diego bakery, superstar pastry chefs on Friday worked on a masterpiece to draw in shoppers - a life-size gingerbread shop. “We are used to the challenge part of it, but this is abnormally large. It's not small,” said multiple Food Network Cake Wars winner and Ridiculous Cakes, Jennifer Duncan. "It's probably the biggest project we've taken on at this bakery.”
Duncan co-owns Cake Bakery in Mission Hills and is building a five-foot by eight-foot gingerbread shop with 600 pounds of ingredients. Children will be able to walk through it at 4010 Goldfinch Street during Small Business Saturday and make gingerbread cookie creations.
“We are not a big-box bakery and we bake everything from scratch. Everyone you see in the bakery is baking what you are eating,” said Duncan.
Small Business Saturday has events in several communities across San Diego and the nation.
“They really are the backbone of our economy in this country and they keep our community so vibrant and unique and that is what defines our community,” said Isabel Clark, Small Business Saturday Coalition.
When shoppers walk into the Mission Hills M-Theory Music stores they will feel nostalgic.
“It's few and far between but we pride ourselves in our curation and in the shop itself,” said employee Chris M. “Small Business Saturday is an amazing opportunity to all support each other it's like one big family in San Diego and Mission Hills.”
According to American Express, in 2013, more than 1,400 individuals and organizations sign up as Neighborhood Champions to rally their communities with events and activities on Small Business Saturday - and that number continues to grow.
By 2017, there were more than 7,200 Neighborhood Champions across all 50 states.
Ocean Beach, North Park, Hillcrest and Mission Hills are among the local communities in San Diego County having "Shop Local" events this Saturday.
Most Small Business Saturday events are from 11 a.m.through 4 p.m. To learn more about shop local click here.