Nobody battled anyone mano a mano for a big screen TV, but independent businesses were still bustling with enthusiasm on Small Business Saturday. 

Local small-scale retailers showcased an array of offerings ranging from handmade skin care lotion to locally brewed coffee and locally produced clothing. 

In Old Pasadena, a hub for small businesses, numerous businesses proudly displayed a “Small Business Saturday” poster as shoppers strolled along Colorado Boulevard, savoring the lively atmosphere. 

In fact, the Biden Administration also announced a new set of measures on Small Business Saturday — a blend of investment and commitment — including a $50 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan to assist more than 10,000 small businesses and a pledge to issue $50 billion in small business loans this year, with a marked increase for underserved businesses. 

“It is important to support our City’s valued small businesses, which create jobs, boost our local economy, and preserve our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Victor Gordo in a proclamation.

Small Business Saturday has its roots in an American Express initiative that started on Nov. 27, 2010, as a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which both feature big-box retail and e-commerce stores. 

At Glee +Co—a new independent store specializing in locally produced fashions, which opened in September—salesperson Kenneth Lee handed out free tote bags to happy customers, one of several stores doing so, and remarked, “I feel like it’s a lot busier today than normal.” Lee, who said he only worked on Saturdays, said it felt like the store had “tripled in business as compared to last week.” 

Lee added that most of the store’s clothing offerings were actually locally made in and around Los Angeles.

At Patagonia, a national chain of outdoor clothing and accessories, store personnel said the store did not participate in Black Friday and only held two sales a year. What they did instead was offer pop-up retail space to local nonprofits and merchants who gave away samples of their wares to Patagonia customers.

Huerta Del Valle, a non-profit regenerative farm in the Inland Empire, set up a display against a back wall of the store, and offered free vegetables and produce from their farmers. 

Patagonia Experience Person Peter Figueira explained that Huerta Del Valle was one of several Southern California non-profits that were awarded business grants from Patagonia.

Founder Maria Alonso, explained the farm’s mission, saying, “We are a non-profit organic community garden. We don’t use pesticides, everything is local, and we also make compost. We also provide an affordable price for the members of the community.”

At the front entrance to the Patagonia store, Earl Delarito of Das Gud Coffee was serving his own blend of custom espresso. 

As he explained, he had been providing his own cold brew coffee blend for months to a runner’s group that uses Patagonia as their home base on weekly runs through Pasadena, and since that time, he has set up shop in the store every Saturday.

“It’s very chill,” he said.  

Also showing off her wares was local entrepreneur Karen Mok, the owner of Earth Melody,  a brand of sustainable skin care products and candles. 

Based in Alhambra, Moke said she developed the various formulations after five years of study and sells her products online as well as at art and craft fairs, such as Pasadena’s Jackalope art event.

Flower Cole, the proprietor of The Unicorn Store in One Colorado, said, “The day has gone really great. Everyone seems to be happy supporting small businesses, as opposed to big box stores.”

 Cole emphasized the feeling of community, saying, “I have customers who come here saying that they only shop at small businesses.” 

Meanwhile, Lucy Kozozian at M. Andonia, which sells handmade purses and accessories, handed out glasses of champagne to celebrate the day and said, ‘Things are going pretty well today.”