#ShopSmall: Small Business Saturday in C-U

Want to support small local businesses and save big while doing your holiday shopping? We've compiled a list of Small Business Saturday deals in that let you support your community and save money at the same time.Small Business Saturday is the local, non-corporate counterpart to the utterly ubiquitous Black Friday and the probably-equally-not-as-universally-known Cyber Monday. (Although, ironically, it was begun by the very non-local and very corporate American Express.) The concept is simple, support the local economy and your neighbors by shopping at small local businesses who offer their equivalent to Black Friday sales. This often translates to two successive days of sales for these businesses, as they'll frequently also participate in Black Friday.We wanted to put together a list of some of the sales and promotions that local businesses are offering here in Champaign-Urbana. This is not just because we're a small local business, but because as C-U residents, we feel that small businesses are an important part of our community. Small businesses don't just mean money pumped into the local economy, though they do also mean that. They provide jobs, facilitate meaningful human interaction, foster a sense of interconnectedness in the community, and help to ensure that a community is getting what it needs and wants. To follow Small Business Saturday, check out #shopsmall, #smallbizsat, and #smallbusinesssaturday on Twitter.A look at the deals below and you'll notice the amazing variety offered by businesses in C-U. You'll also notice that the savings are great and easily rival some of the best deals you might find online or at major retailers. Without further ado, here's the list!Art and Craft Supplies

  • Art Coop - $50 gift cards for $35 all day Saturday. If you do the math, that means 30% off.

  • Klose Knit - Friday, 10:30-noon, 25% off all merchandise. Friday, noon-5pm, and all of Saturday, 15% off all merchandise. On top of these discounts, you'll get an extra 15% off all sale yarn.

Bikes

  • Neutral Cycle- We're offering 20% off EVERYTHING both Friday and Saturday, so if you're in need of anything bike related, be sure to stop by. Even if you think that you're not in need of anything bike-related, stop by and you'll probably find something that you are in need of. (Are you geared up for winter?)

Clothing

  • Champaign Surplus - More than just clothing, of course, but they do have clothes. They're offering up to 30% off select outwear, apparel, and footwear from brands including Columbia, Patagonia, The North Face, and Sorel. They'll also be giving out a free "Shop Small" tote with purchases on Saturday, while supplies last. These deals will start on Black Friday and run through the weekend.

  • Dandelion Vintage - 25% off all clothing. Sunglasses are buy one get one free. Plus, they win the flier award. I mean, it involves Grumpy Cat.

  • Karen's Kloset - For each $50 gift card purchased, you get $10 for yourself. (A good excuse to buy some stuff for yourself, too!) Additionally, they'll be giving away 10 Small Business tote bags filled with stocking stuffers.

Food and Drink

  • Art Mart - There's no specific sale, but there'll offer wine tastings and samples all day. (Which you very well might feel you'll need.)

  • Flying Machine Coffee - Lots of great coffee stuff. Handmade pour-over stands will be $20. Hario V60 coffee dippers will be $12 and kettles will be $45. (These are great prices for great equipment; I use both daily.) Also, t-shirts will be $15 instead of the usual $20.

  • Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery - If you need some respite from the city, this is the place to go. The farm will be open from 9-12 on Saturday and if you can't make it up there, they'll be at the Urbana Holiday Market from 8-1. Their oat chèvre crackers: buy one bag, get another one free. Free tastes of all of our cheeses."

Music(For listening to and the making of)

  • Corson Music - 20% off everything through Saturday. Friday they'll also be running a Black Ampday sale, with 25% off all guitar and bass amps price $199 and over.

  • Exile on Main St. - 25% off all used items. They'll also have over 100 different limited edition vinyl releases that go on sale on Black Friday. Check out their snazzy flier here.

  • Skins-n-Tins Drum Shop - Their Black Friday sale will extend through Saturday. You'll get 50% off list price for cymbals and hardware. You can also get an AA raw bell crash listed at $338.00 for $99.00.

  • The Upper Bout - 20% off select guitars and 15% off all accessories.

Other

  • Campus Mobile Solutions - All premium cases and accessories 25% off, all value cases $7.99, and all tempered glass cases $6.99. Also, $10 off all repairs.

  • Curtis Orchard - 30% off all Melissa & Doug kids' toys.

  • Furniture Lounge - 10% off everything, excluding some jewelry.

  • Jane Addams Bookshop- If you've never wandered through this multiple-story bookstore, it's definitely worth a visit. No specific sale, but if you sign up for their newsletter, you'll get 20% off your purchase.

  • Jon's Pipe Shop- All Peterson pipes from Ireland are 20% off.

  • Prairie Gardens - Up to 50% off a wide variety of holiday items, including lights. If you buy an artificial tree ($229.97 and up), then you'll get $50 in merchandise of your choice for free. See this catalogue for a complete listing. Sale is both Friday and Saturday.

*If you're an independent local business in CU and want to be added to this list, just let us know what your Small Business Saturday deals are and we'll add you!

Community, Entrepreneurship, Events, ProductsKevin Stillwell