"It's been wall to wall people all day, thousands I'd say... thousands," said Kelly LaMartina, owner of Everything Elmwood as she looked around at her crowded store.
It's been 35 years since LaMartina says her store opened up. And now, decades later, it's Small Business Saturday that brings crowds of more than 2,000 in her door.
"It's always crowded this time of year," she said. "Today though, I think that people really waited for Shop Small, and they wanted to show their support."
And after hours of shopping...
"I actually spent a little more than I thought I was going to," said Hollyann Clift, who said she was shopping since 3 p.m.
We caught up with some shoppers, who had their hands full with new purchases. Supporting local businesses is what they all had in common.
"Buffalo is coming back to life," said Hollyann. "This is how we support it continuing to come back to life."
"To support the businesses that struggle to survive," said Sandra Velasco, who said she was shopping since 4 p.m. "They're important all over the country, particularly to Buffalo."
"It's nice to go out and also support all the smaller stores that don't get as much businesses, so today is a day where they can really shine," said Elizabeth Clift.
Shine so much, shoppers couldn't wait to get a look at Saturday's deals, including the all day 15% off the store Ro, which stands near Everything Elmwood, had to offer.
"We opened at 9 a.m. and there were already people following us in the door, and then it's just been packed ever since," said manager of the store, Kaleigh Kirkpatrick.
Shoppers agree, the outcome Saturday afternoon was tremendous.
"Really been packed... which is a good thing!" said Hollyann.
"They've been packed, I mean they've been crowded," said Velasco.
While stores neared closing time...
"Today is definitely going to be the busiest day of the year for us," said Kirkpatrick. "This has meaning behind it, people come out here with purpose."
Shoppers continued to walk the strip of Elmwood to Shop Small.
"You find things that you're not going to find in the big box stores," said Velasco.
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