Small Business Saturday 2025 In Marlborough: See Sales, Deals

MARLBOROUGH, MA — Saturday, Nov. 29, is a crucial day for independently owned local businesses in Marlborough. It’s Small Business Saturday, the kickoff to “shop small” events that emphasize the power of dollars spent in local communities.

Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is sandwiched between the major Black Friday retail shopping holiday, which tends to favor national brands, and Cyber Monday, an online shopping event that this year takes place on Dec. 1.

The stakes for small businesses are higher than ever this holiday shopping season. They have faced increased operating costs, supply chain disruptions and overall market uncertainty. Unlike large big box retailers, they often lack the financial resources and operational flexibility to easily absorb increased costs.

Here are some local businesses participating in this year's event:

• Vibes Candles Shop, 109 Main St.
• Graze Craze, 910 Boston Post Rd E., Suite 101
• Solomon Pond Mall will have @b2rmarlboroughma karaoke afternoon at the food court stage from noon to 3 p.m.

Did we miss anyone? Tell us in the comments or email jessie.castellano@patch.com, and we’ll add it.

There are dozens more Small Business Saturday participants in Marlborough, and you can find them all here.

Since it started in 2010, consumers have reported spending an estimated $210 billion at small businesses across all 15 Small Business Saturdays combined.

There are 756,096 small businesses in Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 state profiles. They also make up 99.5 percent of businesses in the Bay State.

In Massachusetts, there are 1.5 million small business employees.

Local businesses depend on increased sales in the last few months of the year to help them reach their revenue goals, and you’ll find plenty of in-store cheer and holiday happenings that will make the shopping experience fun.

Locally owned businesses recirculate a far greater percentage of revenue locally compared to absentee-owned businesses, according to the American Independent Business Alliance. Independents return about 48 percent of their revenues back into the local economy, compared to 14 percent returned to the local economy by chains.

Small businesses are typically defined by the federal government as those with fewer than 500 employees. They are responsible for about two of every three jobs since 1995, according to the Small Business Administration. Even a partial collapse of small businesses could weaken the overall U.S. economy.