Crowds of shoppers stepped inside locally owned stores across New Jersey to cross items off their holiday shopping lists.

In the heart of Haddonfield, shoppers like Giselle Finocchiaro were on the hunt for unique, quality gifts while shopping small and enjoying the magic of the season.

“I got this beautiful marble charcuterie board. I thought it was going to be $100, it was like 30-something dollars. Gorgeous, good quality,” Finocchiaro said.

Many of the mom-and-pop shops on Kings Highway opened their doors early, trying to draw shoppers in for Small Business Saturday. It’s a make it or break it day for store owners, and Alison Braun at The Spice & Tea Exchange said it sets the tone leading up to Christmas and Hanukkah.

“They call this Black Friday and Small Business Weekend for a reason because this is when we go in the black, and we need the support of our community in order to do that and to stay open year after year for them,” Braun said.

Small Business Saturday started in 2010, encouraging shoppers to support local businesses and help keep Main Streets thriving.

Patricia of Mullica Hill is a family-owned business that’s been open in downtown Haddonfield for more than 40 years. Brad Lafferty said Saturday’s sales were strong and on par with last year.

“It’s an ode to people that believe in supporting small towns,” Lafferty said. “You hear about it, but when you see it as a family business, you can’t imagine what it does for you, and it keeps you going through the holiday season.”

Despite economic uncertainty and the impact of tariffs, the National Retail Federation projected about 67 million shoppers across the country would buy gifts on Small Business Saturday.

Shoppers CBS News Philadelphia spoke with said they’re more conscious of their budget, and they’re trying to make every dollar count.

“You have to make it go further, I mean, with everything rising the way it is, we have to try and spend it where we can, where we know we are getting the most bang for our buck,” said Matt Lewis, who was shopping with his family.

“You try to get the most for your dollar and try to get the important things, not the tchotchke junk you don’t need,” Finocchiaro said.

Haddonfield has turned Small Business Saturday into Small Business Weekend. Many stores will open up early again Sunday morning, along with restaurants serving breakfast and brunch. It’s another chance for shoppers to support local businesses.

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