MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Small businesses are preparing for what could be one of their busiest days of the year as Small Business Saturday approaches this weekend.
The National Retail Federation expects this weekend to draw the largest number of shoppers on record, with holiday sales projected to surpass $1 trillion this year. While Black Friday remains the most popular shopping day, followed by Cyber Monday, small business owners are hoping Saturday will bring strong community support.
Trent Nichols, who owns Eden’s Echo Country Store with his wife, Jackie Nichols, truly understands the impact of strong community support. His family business has quickly grown from a farmer’s market stand to two retail locations. The family’s first store opened in Benson in October 2024. The second location opened earlier this month in Marana’s Gladden Farms neighborhood. It’s located at 11320 W Tangerine Rd. Ste 108.
“If my business fails, I could lose my farm, I could lose my house, it’s not the same as what you deal with at these corporate stores that can just kind of come and go,” Nichols said.
Some of the products at Eden’s Echo Country Store are made at the Nichols family farm in St. David, including soaps and lotions.
“In a sea of all the corporate franchise stores to have a mom and pop shop or a local business like this, I think it’s something super special for a community to have,” Nichols said.
Small Business Saturday was created 15 years ago to encourage shoppers to support local businesses during the holiday shopping season. Tens of millions of small businesses across the country hope to capture a portion of the expected trillion-dollar holiday spending.
Nichols explains that shopping at small businesses offers more than just economic support for the local community. Customers can find unique products they likely won’t discover at large corporations.
“That all starts with us in the morning and getting up and milking the goats and putting it in a jar and then everything that happens to make it land on this shelf is all done by our staff,” Nichols said.
Eden’s Echo Country Store will be open on Small Business Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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