Local Businesses Hope For Similar Outcome Of Shoppers For Small Business Saturday

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Black Friday has come and gone but that doesn't mean you should put away your wallet just yet. Small Business Saturday begins later today.

Small businesses were some of the hardest hit during the pandemic -- resulting in the closure of roughly two-hundred thousand of them nationwide during the first year of the pandemic alone.

Many small business owners are hoping to see just as many shoppers as there were on Friday.

The holiday shopping frenzy brought out crowds like we haven't seen in two years.

People packed into downtown Chicago throughout the day and night during Black Friday. It was a welcome sight for the owner of Kido - a local business that sells clothes, books, and toys.

Keewa Nurullah says she saw a flow of customers on Friday that reached pre-pandemic levels.

"The tide has turned people are out shopping, we get to see our favorite families out shopping," she said.

To celebrate Small Business Saturday, several neighborhoods will be putting on special events today- that includes Belmont Cragin, Bronzeville, and Lincoln Square.