Small Business Saturday is here

Independent US booksellers are using an independent retail store discount holiday to kick off a retail discount week this year, an industry newsletter said. "We love the message of thanking our customers for supporting independent businesses during the Thanksgiving holiday," Libby Cowles, community relations manager for Maria's Bookshop in Durango, Colo., told the cleverly named newsletter ShelfAwareness. The Christian Science Monitor reported Saturday that sandwiched in between Black Friday, a big box store discount extravaganza, and Cyber Monday, the Internet retail attempt to not be left behind, is Small Business Saturday, a sort of "me-too," for independent store owners. With those shopper-friendly puzzle pieces in place, the American Booksellers Association decided to go with "Thanks for Shopping Indie," a week-long discount prices event that celebrates stores that cater to browsing customers. For some booksellers, there are specially discounted items available during discount events that kick off discount weeks. Some bookstores are selling the Kobo Mini, billed as the smallest e-reader, for $49.99 for two days, ending Saturday Nov. 24, the newspaper said. That's a $30 break from the standard price. The Washington Post reported that shoppers can make a commitment, as well, by signing a pledge that takes a stand against retail chains in favor of independent store owners. The "Shop Outside the Big Box Pledge," is meant to keep customers focused on their locally-owned retailer that often has trouble competing against the buying power of a national chain.