Black Friday sales have been embedded into American culture for decades. For many folks, it’s a beloved tradition to spend the day after Thanksgiving in the big stores checking out the deals.

But more recently, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has been earmarked for shopping at retailers that don’t have millions of dollars in corporate support behind them.

Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010, and in 2011, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) signed on as a co-sponsor.

According to the SBA, last year’s Small Business Saturday generated an estimated $23 billion in sales at independent retailers and restaurants.

The United States has more than 30 million independent businesses, and South Carolina accounts for more than 400,000 of those. On Nov. 26, 2022, shoppers have a chance to offer their support at the beginning of the holiday shopping season.