Small Business Saturday: East Bay shops local on 15th anniversary of annual shopping day after Black Friday [Video]

DANVILLE, Calif. (KGO) — Saturday marked the 15th anniversary of Small Business Saturday.

It was originally created the day after Black Friday by American Express to remind shoppers of the importance of shopping small, rather than supporting big box retailers.

“Today already, it’s been non-stop all day, so we’ve had customers all day long, which is nice,” said Jacqui Amayo, the owner of Danville Chocolates.

In downtown Danville, Amayo saw no shortage of hungry customers lining up at her shop.

“It’s just great when people come in and they see the place, and they feel it, and you don’t get that when you shop on Amazon,” she said.

MORE: San Jose shops hopeful for Small Business Saturday shopping traffic

And shoppers are getting rewarded too. They’re walking away with “I love Danville” tote bags, just for shopping at participating small businesses.

“And the small business owners, boy, now more than ever, they need that support, that love, that help,” said John Kabateck, the California …