Small Business Saturday shopping in Philly and NJ

It was a big day for local businesses Saturday.

The holiday spirit was alive and well in Haddonfield, New Jersey and Philadelphia's Manayunk neighborhoods.

Santa Claus was on the street greeting children.

The Jersey Sound Chorus was out caroling, and giving out plenty of hugs to their favorite news team.

The festivities and good spirits in town are all part of Small Business Saturday that was thriving.

Our first stop was inside Happy Hippo Toys store, a local fixture in town.

Maryellen DeMille, Happy Hippo Toys store manager said, "We've been here for 38 years, must doing something right."

DeMille says its days like these who keep them going.

"We know most of the kids in town. The parents we have second generations shopping here now," She said.

Clearly the kids love it by letting us demonstrate what they got.

Down into the city in Manayunk more of the hustle and bustle of Small Business Saturday.

That's where we met Christina Wong of Roxborough and her mom.

"I think we find a lot better quality presence, personal presence and also they have some really funny little cheeky things in these local stores," Wong said.

For the owner of The Little Apple in Manayunk, Brandy Deieso, the business today kind of makes or breaks the year.

"It's our biggest day of the year every year. We do the most sales today. It's the kick off of the season," Deieso said.

Even Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney got in on the action.

We found him out shopping in West Philadelphia on 52nd Street.

"Small businesses is what matters in our city. They're in every neighborhood and employ the bulk of our population, "Mayor Kenney said.

We ended things back out in Haddonfield on top of the singing, shopping and even horse and buggy rides.

And Santa has a message for everyone, "Be good. Be good to each other".

----------

Send a breaking news alert
Report a correction or typo
Learn more about the 6abc apps