Ivy Lane Floral and Gift in Ooltewah sells Gingersnaps jewelry, which have interchangeable medallions.

As the big retailers go all out this year, starting traditional Black Friday sales on Thursday (Black Thanksgiving?), smaller, locally owned stores are also looking to the holiday season to bolster their business.

Just like big stores, little ones usually need good holiday sales to boost their bottom line and give them some financial breathing room.

This coming weekend, American Express is hosting its fourth Small Business Saturday, a promotion designed to get shoppers into local brick-and-mortar businesses while they're out on their usual post-Thanksgiving buying spree. The day works in conjunction with Black Friday and Cyber Monday as the kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

If patronizing local businesses appeals to you, here are several locally owned stores that have opened in the past year or so in the Chattanooga area. They certainly aren't the only small businesses that need your patronage, but they're a start.

Ivy Lane Floral and Gifts

• Address: 7414 Snow Hill Road, Ooltewah.

• Hours: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday through Christmas.

• Kind of store: Gift boutique and florist.

• Owner quote: "I think our WoodWick candles ($18.99) are a good gift. They crackle like a fire when you burn them, and you just snap the wood wick off so it doesn't smoke when you relight them. Also, Gingersnaps jewelry are big sellers because you can change their looks. They come in ring, bracelet or lanyard pieces that allow you to snap in and out interchangeable circular medallions. Each decorated snap-in is $6.99." - Sylvia Scoggins.

• Contact: 423-902-1597, www.facebook.com/pages/Ivy-Lane-Floral-and-Gifts/336980453094475.

Popcorn Pantry

• Address: 5721 Highway 153, Suite 113.

• Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

• Kind of store: Offering more than 100 gourmet flavors of popcorn.

• Owner quote: "Our best seller is a white chocolate caramel sea salt. It is an interesting myriad of flavors, for sure." - Steve Higgs.

• Contact: 423-602-5741, www.popcornpantry.com, www.facebook.com/popcornpantry.

Fredonia - Provisions for Women

• Address: 1421 Market St.

• Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

• Kind of store: Women's clothing and accessories.

• Owner quote: "I have a nice assortment of handmade jewelry with some made locally, but all made in the U.S. Most of them are under $30." - Morgan Claborn.

• Contact: 423-602-5501, www.facebook.com/fredoniaprovisionsforwomen.

Monogrammed Gifts in Ooltewah sells glitter monogrammed boatneck T-shirts for $28.

Monogrammed Gifts

• Address: 5223 Hunter Road, Ooltewah.

• Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday.

• Kind of store: Personalized gifts.

• Owner quote: "A favorite gift is our boatneck T-shirt with glitter monogram. It comes in 15 colors. The $28 price includes the monogram." - Denys Tawzer.

• Contact: 423-910-1448, www.facebook.com/pages/Monogrammed-Gifts/123051321048645.

Bugs & Kisses

• Address: 265 North Hamilton, Dalton, Ga.

• Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

• Kind of store: Children's clothing, toys, books and gifts.

• Owner quote: "No one locally carries the brands of clothing I have because ours is all European. ... It's a unique collection." - Amber Rosario (co-owner with Tosia Cash).

• Contact: 706-529-7270, www.facebook.com/pages/Bugs-and-Kisses/180906428756741 .

Olive Chattanooga

• Address: 112 Woodland Ave.

• Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday.

• Kind of store: Exotic olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

• Owner quote: "One of my favorites would be the crushed black pepper extra virgin olive oil. Crushed black pepper is a commonly used spice, so it pairs well with whatever you want to put it on. Also, it's rare - most people have never seen it before - so that's another reason people like it. " - Randall Stappenbeck.

• Contact: 423-266-4044, olivechattanooga.com.

Serenity Pet Spa and Doggie Delights

• Address: 1042 Graysville Road, Suite 1.

• Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; closed Saturday and Sunday.

• Kind of store: Hand-baked pet treats and pet grooming.

• Owner quote: "A lot of dogs come in with grain allergies. It doesn't always say what's in the treat (on packages purchased at mainstream stores), so I want to make treats based on whatever their allergies are, so they can have treats, too. What we called The Starbarks Bone is one of our more popular treats. ... There are lots of dogs who love that treat." - owner Dottie Stevens.

• Contact: 423-760-8796.

Vintage Vapors

• Address: 5716 Ringgold Road, Suite 103.

• Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

• Kind of store: Sells e-cigarettes, e-liquids (vapor juices).

• Owner quote: "Our e-liquid lines [of juices] are all great sellers. We make them all locally with U.S.-based ingredients." - Steve Dockery.

• Contact: 423-243-0055, www.vintagevapors.com.

2 Angels Mushroom Farm

• Address: 5829 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road (Ooltewah Farmers Market).

• Hours: 3-5 p.m. Thursdays, but also available daily by calling.

• Kind of store: Sells variety of wild, dried and farm-raised mushrooms; jams and jellies.

• Owner quote: "Blue oyster mushrooms ... are our main mushrooms. They have the unique gourmet flavor that chefs just love. And they're so perishable, you can't purchase them in stores." - Angel Miller

• Contact: 423-208-3218, www.facebook.com/2AngelsMushrooms.

Keeping Treasures Alive

• Address: 7577 Nashville St., Ringgold, Ga.

• Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday.

• Kind of store: Antiques, collectibles and hand-crafted goods.

• Quote: "The local handmade items are our big sellers. People are looking for more rustic things. That seems to attract people in this area. I tell [my sellers] that something a little dusty, not clean, a little rusty, not polished, is big. People like fixer-uppers that they can take and make into something for themselves." - Joy Pfeifer (co-owner with Rodney Pfeifer)

• Contact: 706-965-7577, www.facebook.com/KeepingTreasuresAlive.