U.S. President Barack Obama marked “small business Saturday” by taking his daughters shopping at a bookstore a few blocks from the White House.

The president said he and first daughters, Sasha and Malia, were getting an early start to Christmas shopping and supporting a local business.

Among the president's purchases were The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney and Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia by Ahmed Rashid.

The retail industry designated Saturday as the day shoppers can support small, independently owned businesses during the busy pre-Christmas shopping season. It is a counterpoint to Black Friday and the sales offered by chain department stores and other large retailers.