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RAVENA-COEYMANS — With the holiday shopping season now upon us, shoppers are being asked to keep their shopping — and their dollars — local.

Small Business Saturday will be held nationwide this Saturday, Nov. 24.

Held each year one day after the big Black Friday sales that focus on larger stores, Small Business Saturday is always held the day after, during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.

One local business owner, Casey Reppert, from Pickers Nation on Route 9W, has been trying to serve as a one-woman promotion for Small Business Saturday. She has been asking other local business owners to join her in her quest — to get shoppers frequenting local stores.

“There are some really interesting shops and a wide variety of small shops in the area that people can come to that are budget friendly,” Reppert said.

Pickers Nation is an antique and collectibles shop with multiple vendors and has products for an eclectic range of tastes. Reppert has been reaching out to local businesses to draw them into her promotion, which she is advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

There, she will include a list of participating local businesses “to give people resources using social media to find businesses they can shop at locally,” she said.

She said shopping at small local businesses is important for the economy of the village and town.

“By shopping locally you support local businesses, and help your hometown, keeping the money in your own community,” Reppert said.

Local officials have the same message for residents.

“Supporting our hometown businesses is vitally important to their continued success and existence,” Village Trustee Nancy Warner said. “Shop local to show your support and confidence in your neighbors; this is what keeps our community vibrant and moving forward.”

Patronizing neighborhood stores is also a way to bring new businesses to the area, she added.

“If we don’t ‘shop local,’ we probably shouldn’t expect to see businesses want to move to our community,” Warner said.

Village Trustee Linda Muller agreed.

“I would encourage local residents to frequent local business for holiday and everyday needs,” Muller said. “We also have great places to eat!”

Coeymans Town Councilman Dan Baker said he does business locally — everything from filling the gas tank to buying groceries to stocking up on heating oil — and he asks other residents to do the same.

“I would encourage all residents to try and shop here as much as they can,” Baker said. “It keeps the funds in our town.”

Small Business Saturday was first launched by credit card company American Express in 2010 on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving to “encourage people to Shop Small and bring more holiday shopping to small businesses,” according to the company’s website.

The next year, a resolution supporting the day was adopted unanimously by the U.S. Senate and officials in all 50 states began participating and promoting the effort.

Each year, thousands of small businesses take part.

“Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, is Small Business Saturday — a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities,” according to the Small Business Administration. “Please join the SBA and organizations across the country in supporting your local small business by shopping at a small business.”

Ravena Village Trustee Mary Ellen Rosato said there are other benefits to keeping your shopping local as much as possible — the relationships you can build with business owners.

“We have some wonderful small businesses in our area. We need to support them to keep businesses local and to show we can also support new ones that are looking to locate here,” Rosato said. “Many business owners are our neighbors and friends and they support many local groups — scouts, churches, fundraisers and more. I personally like the fact that I can go into my insurance company and have a friendly relationship with the owners.”

Sometimes, she added, those personal touches really put a different spin on a business transaction.

“After a severe accident they [the insurance company] called numerous times to check on me, as well as bringing me dinner (thank you, Anatriello Insurance),” Rosato said. “There are a few businesses that I have now known for three generations. That small village feeling is special.”