Small Business Saturday 2025 On The North Shore: See Special Events

PEABODY, MA — Saturday, Nov. 29, is a crucial day for independently owned local businesses on the North Shore. 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 coalition and collaboration events set for Saturday to celebrate Small Business Saturday and drive traffic to those businesses this weekend and throughout the holiday season:

• Peabody Downtown Holiday Stroll Returns For 2025
• Salem Old Town Hall Holiday Artists' Market Back For 2025
• Salem 'Holiday Happenings' Looks To Build Off Busy Halloween Business Boom
• Shop Small In Beverly Includes Free Downtown Parking

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

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.

More on Patch: Small Business Saturday + Holiday Markets And 7 MA Events This Weekend