Local businesses are gearing up for one of their most stressful yet essential days of the year.

Nov. 29 is known as Small Business Saturday and is an essential economic driver for mom-and-pop shops and small businesses across America.

"It's one of our busier weekends," said Victoria Shackelford, 28, consultant at Kitchen Emporium & Gifts in Anderson. "And with the holidays coming here, it's more foot traffic from the lull that comes after the kids go back to school."

It's the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and an added source of necessary stress for local business owners.

"We see about 20-30 percent more business and foot traffic around this time of the year," said Amelia Madden, store manager at Monkee's of the West End. "But it's great for us as a store and has kept th

See Full Page