Sacramento is one of the many cities in the country with “buy local” campaigns to help independent merchants compete with national retailers during the holidays.

But there's little research on whether those campaigns actually work. Jack Robinson is Editor of the Sacramento Business Journal.

"I don't know of any figures on that point but they must help some or cities and shopping districts wouldn't keep launching these campaigns. This year for example the merchant associations in midtown, downtown and Old Sacramento are pushing something called spend your green on the grid to encourage shopping at local stores."

One retail analyst says buy-local campaigns would be more effective if they focused on what merchants can do for shoppers…not what shoppers can do for merchants.

He says - while a few small retailers offer promotions on the day after Thanksgiving, most pretty much ignore the whole "Black Friday" ritual.

Robinson says small, local retailers try to distinguish themselves from the national chains by offering merchandise you can't find at big box stores.