We all know the decades-old Black Friday retail madness, and now we keep our eyes and fingertips peeled for additional online deals on Cyber Monday. But there’s another shopping sheriff in town – starting this year – the local, small business.

Today is the first-ever Small Business Saturday, a shopping movement that focuses on supporting your local and small businesses in addition to getting that HDTV deal at the big box store. SCVNGR is all about local businesses: how could there even be any location-based technology without the millions of locations, a vast majority of whom are coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques and other sole proprietorships?

Small Business Saturday intends to ‘create local jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country.’ As part of this national movement to drive shoppers to local merchants across the U.S., SCVNGR is awarding a special badge for the occasion today! Head to your favorite local merchant (or even check out some new places you’ve never been!) and play SCVNGR. You’ll unlock the special badge, earn points and even rewards if the places are building on SCVNGR.

Spread the shopping love and have a great Small Business Saturday!