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For the person who already owns everything, Utah's Jenifer Elder has unique holiday gifts — Buddha-shaped figurines hand-painted with the faces of Spider-Man, an Ewok from the "Star Wars" saga or the Pillsbury Doughboy.

"You get a different kind of product, something personal and one of a kind when you shop at a small business," the Tangents and Tentacles owner explained on Small Business Saturday.

Designed to counter Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions — which are dominated by large national retailers — the small-business day is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and was devised to encourage consumers to buy gifts at locally owned businesses and boost the economy in their communities.

"When you buy from a local business, you're helping a family buy groceries or pay for piano lessons," Elder said. "You're helping families day to day."

Several events were held around the state Saturday to encourage consumers to "shop small." Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski shopped at Caputo's Market and Deli as well as King's English Bookshop to encourage local shopping.

Elder, who specializes in fan art and sculptures, was one of a dozen crafters who set up tables outside Sandy's Urban Farm and Feed store, where others sold crocheted hats, handmade soaps, pottery and baked goods.

Over the past decade, more consumers are stepping into locally owned businesses for their holiday shopping, according to a survey released last week by the National Federation of Independent Businesses and American Express, which started Small Business Saturday seven years ago.

One-third of consumers said they expected to do their 2016 holiday shopping at small retailers or restaurants; 76 percent say they will visit at least one small business as part of their overall holiday shopping. The Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey had a national sample of 1,653 adults and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percent.

The majority of consumers — 63 percent, according to the survey — are willing to pay slightly more for an item if they purchase it from a small, independently owned retailer. The extra cost, according to some who were shopping Saturday, is outweighed by better customer service, higher quality and a chance to talk to the person who actually made the gift.

Emily Park, owner of Indulge Eats bakery, agrees.

"It's so much nicer to meet the people who are making the presents you are giving," she said. "It just makes the holidays more meaningful."

It's also nice to know you're giving back to neighbors in your community, said shopper Stephanie Nasser, who purchased several gifts for friends at the Sandy artisan market.

"I like giving back to the people who have made the products with care and a conscience," she said. "It's not about the profit, but about the connection you make."