Big stores and shopping malls get all the attention on Black Friday, but on the day after small-town businesses will strike back.

Small Business Saturday on November 24th will be their opportunity to draw in customers by offering a different feel and a different type of shopping experience.

The Knoxville Chamber of Commerce is urging all its small business members in general, and the ones on the downtown square in particular, to go all-out that day to draw customers in and help them find those special holiday gifts they can’t get just anywhere.

Hannah Vander Veer is director of the Knoxville Chamber; she tells KNIA/KRLS News the intimate setting and holiday atmosphere serves as a pleasant alternative to fighting crowds or buying something off of a website.

“One thing that’s stressed a lot in this day and age is just the experience of things; so when you order online or you go to a mall, you don’t necessarily get the experience of walking into a store and being able to touch and feel and interact with the people there,” Vander Veer says.

“Small Business Saturday is a great way to do that and have our local businesses showcase the experiences that they provide and the products that they provide.”

Vander Veer says this is the most crucial shopping period of the year for retailers of any size, and smaller stores need to bring in as many customers and as much revenue as possible by Christmas.

You can find out more about Small Business Saturday on today’s edition of Let’s Talk Knoxville.