In the News

Frantic crowds, long lines and big box stores -- that's not the scene you'll find at the Junction in West Seattle, where stores are rolling out deals and special events to lure locals to shop small this weekend.

"I think it's a good push back to the Black Friday mania that has kinda taken over," said Sarah Loertscher, who works at Click! in West Seattle.From the White House to Washington's Governor Jay Inslee, there's an intensified push this year to play up "Small Business Saturday," an initiative started by American Express in 2010.

Loertscher said most employees at the store are small business owners themselves.

"This is the jewelry that I make, so everything is hand fabricated in West Seattle," Loertscher said of her display.

Kristina Jamison and her husband stopped in the store Friday to browse. They made the executive decision to avoid traditional Black Friday sales.

"Whenever we get the chance to support a local West Seattle business, we always do that. You know, why would we want our dollars to go anywhere else?" said Jamison.

However, she admits that she takes advantage of the ease of online shopping through retail giant Amazon, which is still local, just on a much larger scale.

"That's something we're always struggling with, but you know certain things…it's just inevitable," Jamison said of shopping online.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be counted as some of Amazon's busiest days.

"We are already very busy and believe this will be our best holiday ever," said Amazon spokesperson Lauren Englund.

As tech workers bustle around headquarters in South Lake Union, deals on the site urge shoppers to "skip lines and shop Black Friday deals from anywhere, even your couch."

It's a trend which has left brick and mortars trying to compete. At Click! in West Seattle, Sarah said the shop tries to create "an experience" that about more than "just a transaction."

"Like any small business it's a challenge, but it's a good one, and we have an amazing community that supports us," Loertscher said.

According to the American Independent Business Alliance, 48% of money spent at local, independent businesses is re-circulated locally, compared to 14% of purchases at chain stores

According to the Small Business Association, Washington state has more than 552,000 small businesses, employing over half of the state's private workforce.

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-1st District) plans to visit local businesses in Kirkland on Saturday, along with State Representative Larry Springer (D-45th District) and Kirkland Mayor Amy Walen.