This is peanut brittle season, John Riley said. Because the humidity has to be at certain level for the candy to set properly, it can only be made at certain times of year. And when the sign went up in front of the The Confectionary at 235 W. State Street, Sycamore, people flooded in.

“It’s a big hit, especially around the holiday season,” said Riley, manager at the candy store’s Sycamore location.

The Confectionary, which also has a location in downtown DeKalb, is one of the area’s local businesses gearing up for the holiday shopping season. While Black Friday kicks off the shopping rush, for 10 years a movement has focused on using the following Saturday to focus on shopping at local stores.

Small Business Saturday began as a program by American Express in 2010 in response to the Great Recession, according to the program’s website. It was a response to statistics showing that fewer local and family-owned businesses were opening and staying open.

“It’s the heart of each downtown,” said Lauren Woods, owner of Cracker Jax in DeKalb. “People want their downtowns.”

Woods said the merchants in the area are a community, working together to help one another out and the community as a whole.

Aubrey Johnson, a sales associate at Cracker Jax, said it was the personal attention that the smaller shops can give that makes a difference and helps them stand out. The shop will gift wrap anything purchased there without charge, and gift wrap items from other shops for small fees.

The store’s concept, which has a little of everything, from vintage clothes to handmade jewelry, lends to every purchase being unique. In a way, it’s been a response to the increasing role of the internet in shopping and commerce.

“In some ways, it’s forced us to look harder for more unique things,” Johnson said.

Riley said the candy shop is beginning to grow its digital footprint, but that hasn’t stopped the shop from having a global presence already. A map of the world at the front of the store has pins showing each location around the globe where the shop has either shipped something or someone has come in to purchase candy to take or send there.

Because they are a small business and local, Riley said they can help people find gifts for the person who already has everything. The shop can personalize orders.

“It allows people to be a little more creative,” he said.

In some instances, the local shop is tied to the internet. North Central Cyclery in DeKalb is a Trek bike dealer. When someone buys a bike through Trek, the bike is sent to the DeKalb location where it is assembled and certified by a trained Trek mechanic, said Thalia Schusteff, a sales associate at the store.

The store has its website, mainly to showcase the products they have, Schusteff said.

“Small business is super important to the community,” she said. “They’re the ones that give back. And they’re people that are passionate about their trade.”

Woods said each purchase at Cracker Jax is felt in the store.

“We can’t do it without our customers,” she said. “It’s one of the reasons we’re here.”