Majority of Americans willing to travel an extra 8 miles just to support a small business

Seven in 10 Americans would skip a nearby chain and trek an average of eight miles away to support their favorite independent small business.

A recent survey of 2,003 Americans found that as many gear up for the holiday shopping rush, 59% plan to skip shopping this Black Friday, listing reasons such as avoiding large crowds (28%) and never participating in the shopping festivities (27%).

Instead, nearly half (48%) said they will shop at local businesses on Small Business Saturday.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of SurePayroll ahead of Small Business Saturday, the survey also found that eight in 10 feel that small businesses are vital to their community and are overcome with sadness when they close up shop.