Business

Our RICtoday Small Business Saturday shopping picks

The 16th annual edition of Small Business Saturday falls on November 29 — the perfect time to help you add some local flair to your holiday shopping.

November 25, 2025 • 
Elise Steele
The inside of The Smoky Mug's new location, populated by customers and workers; Wicker light shades hand from the cieling and a colorful mural covers one of the back walls.

Locally owned and operated, The Smoky Mug supplies Richmonders with coffee, cocktails, and barbecue in Brookland Park.

Photo by RICtoday

Here at RICtoday, we like to keep things local all year long, but on Small Business Saturday, the rest of the country joins us in our mission to shop small.

Founded by American Express in 2010 and cosponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011, Small Business Saturday is an initiative to bring small businesses to the forefront of the holiday shopping season on the last Saturday of November.

This year’s event falls on Saturday, Nov. 29, and we want to make shopping local as easy as possible. This map can help you find small businesses in your area.

Here are a few that caught our eye:

Editor Elise’s bonus shout-outs:

Psst — do you own a local company? Read our small business coverage or check out these resources to help you participate in Small Business Saturday.

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