Jemaa el-Fnaa Square in Marrakesh
© Pavliha/Getty Image
A big place to shop small
Small Business Saturday started in 2010 to get shoppers out of the big box stores the day after Black Friday and support local retailers. The US is home to more than 30 million small businesses (500 employees or fewer), representing 47 percent of private sector employees. Of course, the concept of patronizing local merchants is nothing new. Here in Marrakesh, Morocco, souks (markets) like this one in Jemaa el-Fnaa Square have long been a big part of daily life, as well as major tourist attractions. During the day, musicians, dancers, and even snake charmers entertain shoppers as they search for crafts, clothing, and other goods. At night, the focus shifts to dining, with dozens of stalls offering different specialties and takes on traditional Moroccan food.
Related Images
Bing Today Images
Crown Fountain, by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa, in Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois
Alphorn musicians perform during the International Alphorn Festival in Nendaz, Switzerland
Skating on a frozen canal near the windmills at Kinderdijk in the Netherlands
Golden Hall in Stockholm City Hall for today's Nobel Prize Award ceremonies
People looking at the crowded Avenue des Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe on May 8, 1945, Paris, France
Beverley Westwood Common, East Yorkshire, England
Adélie penguins at Possession Island, Antarctica
Arctic surfing trip in the Lofoten Islands, Norway for the Lofoten Masters