The day, held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, is meant to promote people shopping at locally-owned businesses during the holiday season.

The Small Business Development Center at JCC said when people shop locally, it helps an estimated 67-cents out of every dollar stay in the community. By comparison, they said shopping at big box stores keeps roughly 38-cents in the community, with online shopping having the smallest impact on the local economy.

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is holding a contest where those who shop local can enter to win ShopLocalCHQ Gift Cards. People who want to participate only need to post a photo and check-in at a small, locally-owned business on Facebook or Instagram and add #ShopSmallCHQ to your post. By posting, you will be automatically entered to win up to $500 in ShopLocalCHQ Gift Cards.

The business does not have to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and no purchase is required for your entry. The more times you check in and use the hashtag, the more entries you will get. Winners will be selected on Monday, November 28. Entries will be counted for Small Business Saturday, November 26 only.

On Cyber Monday, November 28, the Chamber is also offering a discount on products through ShopLocalCHQ.com.

Visit https://www.chautauquachamber.org/ for more information.

Also, the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, who is the parent organization of WRFA, will be offering a deal starting Saturday through December. When you buy a $50 gift card, you will receive a free movie ticket good for use for movies at the Reg.

Visit reglenna.com for more.

Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dan Heitzenrater said shopping locally is an investment in your community, “The parallel people always make online like it’s investing in your neighbor’s little league team, right, or things like that. So, when you shop small it’s really helping drive more than half of your dollar when you shop in a small local business is reinvested in the community whether that’s through wages of other local employees that they may have or like I said those other community-minded contributions.”

Heitzenrater said the Chamber is again running the “Shop Local CHQ” gift card program which can be used at 140 small businesses throughout Chautauqua County, “Those cards can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce. We do have information and the order form on our website. And we personally fulfill those so when you order the card we’ll load those in any amount between $5 and $500.”

The Chamber also will again feature an online option to shop local with the shoplocalchq.com marketplace which features products from around Chautauqua County.

According to the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, for every 100 shopping dollars spent at a locally owned business, $68 goes back into the local economy.

As a result, the chamber is asking residents to shop small and shop local this holiday season.

100 Under 100 was created by 3rd on 3rd Gallery Curator and artist, Debra Eck to help artists sell their work and to kick off the holiday shopping season.

Patrons benefit buying from affordable, original art making for unique and meaningful gifts. Participating artists include Courtney Mealy, Kathleen Tenpas, Sandra Pearson, Karen Glosser and Don Hill. The show will continue on Small Business Saturday when the gallery opens from 10am-4pm.

Shows at 3rd on 3rd Gallery are made possible by grant support from New York State Council On The Arts.

3rd On 3rd Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10am until 4pm when exhibits are offered. Private viewings may be scheduled by calling 664-2465, ext. 227. For more information, visit reglenna.com.

3rd On 3rd Gallery is located at 116 East Third Street in the Reg Lenna Center for The Arts in Jamestown, NY.

As has become tradition, many shoppers will get up early Friday morning and stand in line for hours to be among the first into the store to take advantage of the deals. Th day is not without criticism, as some feel the days benefit chain stores and businesses with profits leaving the area. Also, people have sometimes been seriously harmed and even trampled to death in the melee that accompanies Black Friday, as people rush through the doors when a business first opens.

This year there, while many people still planning on lining up outside the box stores for Black Friday, others are being encouraged to shop local – and part of it is due to a credit card company sponsoring a program for the small stores in small towns. Small Business Saturday is being promoted by American Express.

Not only is the credit card company advocating that we shop locally, they are advocating shopping at small, independently owned businesses. By buying there, the buyer is not only helping the small shop owner, he or she is also helping the local community. The promotion will take place the Saturday after Thanksgiving – Nov. 24, 2012 –  and gives people an opportunity to really help the small store and the small stores in the small towns.

There are a variety of locally owned retail outlets in Jamestown and Chautauqua County that will be open on Saturday and local residents are encouraged to stop and shop at those places to support local business.