Eau Claire (WQOW) - Sunday marks the end of one of the largest shopping weekends of the year.  

According to retail researcher Shoppertrak, in-store Black Friday sales were down over $1 billion compared to 2014, but online sales went up 14 percent. To compare, local Eau Claire stores said it was one of the busiest Small Business Saturdays they had seen, with shoppers buying from area retailers and grabbing a bite to eat downtown.

"It was great," said Jayne Kallenbach, a barista at The Acoustic Cafe. "The day started off slow, but all afternoon that I was here, we were watching people running around outside, shopping all over the place, and the place was packed. We have a lot of great local businesses offering things that you can't get at Target or Walmart."

Kate Beaton, with Tangled Up In Hue, believed this year was the store's best Small Business Saturday yet.

"It is so amazing for our local economy," said Beaton. "It also creates a great local culture for neighbors to be supporting other neighbors, like the artists that we have here."

Downtown Eau Claire Inc. said for every $100 that is spent locally, almost $73 stays in the area, versus only $43 when spending at a national chain. 

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