Stuart shoppers think Small Business on Saturday

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Small Business Saturday a boom for stores in Stuart

Photographer: WPTV
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Posted: 11/24/2012

By: Rikki Klaus

STUART, Fla. -

Gumbo Limbo owner Patty O'Connell says her beach home dé cor shop in downtown Stuart is unique.

"We have things in our store that you can't find anywhere else," she said.

American Express created the commercial holiday three years ago to remind people to shop locally, the day after Black Friday.

Shoppers Bonnie Barker and Jennie Pappas learned of it this year.

"Well, aside from loving to shop, we wanted to support the local businesses," said Barker.

"We don't want people to forget that we're here because we're the real core of what really keeps our economy going," said O'Connell.

To get even more shoppers, American Express is offering its customers discounts if they shop at local stores.

"Small Business Saturday has been a huge success," said Judy Farley. "It's been wonderful. We're getting to meet all kinds of new people downtown."

Farley is the owner of Go Fish, a Christian women's clothing store in downtown Stuart. She says the special day has caused a business bump. That's something to celebrate for a store that opened just three months ago.

"The national campaign that American Express has launched has done something for small business that we could never do," said O'Connell. " And that is bring more awareness to the smaller mom and pop stores," she says.