There Are Black Friday Type Deals On Small Business Saturday: $17.8 Billion Spent In 2018

In the midst of Black Friday and Cyber Monday planning and shopping, there are two additional “shopping” days you may want to know about. Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday. Each one came about, partly as a counter-movement to the big box retailer pushes to get people to spend.

Note: I explore where to find Saturday specials here and “GivingTuesday” in a separate post that I will publish this weekend.

If it has to do with Small Business, I always turn to my favorite expert Rieva Lesonsky who has been writing about trends and changes in this not-so-small industry for years. According to Rieva’s Small Business Saturday post on Fox Business, “the impact of Small Business Saturday goes beyond one shopping day a year. It spawned the Shop Small movement, which encourages Americans to shop at local small businesses, eat at local restaurants and do business with local small business owners year-round. American Express says when you Shop Small, approximately 67 cents of every dollar stays in the local community.”

A writer on the Rieva’s SmallBizDaily site, Jonathan McCormick, states that “During the time from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, the average consumer will spend $738.” Small businesses can earn a portion of that money spent through smart marketing and sales. Although his post is aimed at small business owners and how they can prepare for and be successful on this day, it reminds us that the world is not dominated by big box retailers. You can read Jonathan’s post here: 8 Easy Ways for Your Business to Own Small Business Saturday.

According to the 2018 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, the “total reported spending among U.S. consumers who said they shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on the day reached a record high of an estimated $17.8 billion. The same survey reported that more than 70 percent of consumers are now aware of the Small Business Saturday initiative. Based on this annual survey over the years, Small Business Saturday spending has now reached a reported estimate of $103 billion since the day began in 2010.”

Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially cosponsored by SBA since 2015, Small Business Saturday has become an important part of how many small businesses launch their busiest shopping season. Here is how you can find deals near you:

• Use the American Express “Find A Small Business” mapping tool.
• Also, I really like Patch, which lets you search in your local (if they have a Patch chapter).

Here are some examples:

• Small Business Saturday 2019: Where To Shop In Manhattan
• Small Business Saturday – Shop Downtown Downers Grove, Illinois
• Your Guide To Small Business Saturday In Dearborn, Michigan

As you shop for deals, and I hope you find many, remember that small businesses can and often do make up a large part of our purchases. Independent retailers are worth supporting and make it possible for many of us to have a unique and positive impact on our local communities. May your Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Small Business Saturday be filled with great friends and great deals.

[“source=forbes”]