The holiday season is around the corner, and small businesses everywhere have been pivoting to serve a post-COVID shopping landscape. As consumers are poised to return to brick-and-mortar stores in force this holiday selling season, local mom-and-pop shops, restaurants and service providers can maximize the opportunity by participating in Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday, which takes place on Nov. 27 this year, encourages consumers to support local businesses by shopping small. American Express launched this shopping holiday in 2010, at the height of the Great Recession, as a way of redirecting holiday shopping to local stores. A decade later, it’s observed in all 50 states, and in 2011, the Senate passed a resolution recognizing Small Business Saturday.
Consumers have been more than eager to jump on board and support their local small business community. Last year, the U.S. Small Business Administration reported Americans spent nearly $20 billion on Small Business Saturday, and in the years before that, consumers spent a cumulative $100 billion-plus on this shopping holiday.
For every dollar spent at a small business, it is estimated that an average of $0.67 stays in that business's local community. This has the potential to boost sales during the 2021 holiday season, with many small businesses still working to make up the revenue lost during the pandemic.
Don’t forget Artist Sunday
Artists Sunday is celebrated the first Sunday after Thanksgiving, between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. The day is dedicated to encouraging consumers to shop with artists and give something special, unique, and hand-crafted this holiday season.
