Have you heard of Small Business Saturday?
First celebrated in Massachusetts in 2010, Small Business Saturday quickly took the retail world by storm. The following year, Congress passed a unanimous resolution to support the date. And we don’t have to tell you how unusual that is! Small Business Saturday is now celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Learn a little more about Small Business Saturday below and how you can support local businesses during this year’s event.
What is Small Business Saturday?
Sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday* gives consumers an alternative to “big box store” shopping or online ordering. Instead, the unofficial retail holiday lets you show your love for local brick and mortar small businesses in your community.
In 2020, nearly 100 million people across the nation supported their local small businesses by shopping in person or online through the pandemic. That’s $19.8 billion retail dollars entering our economy at the local level! This year, spending could easily top the $20 billion mark.
While those totals are certainly nothing to scoff at, it’s the impact of those dollars at the local and state levels that makes the biggest difference. According to HuffPost, for every $100 spent at a local business, approximately $68 stays in the community. In contrast, when you shop at a big box store, just $48 out of that same $100 stays in the community.
That may not sound like a huge difference, but local business also generates 70% more local economic activity per square foot than big box retail. And that in turn generates 3.5 times more wealth for the local economy compared to money spent at chain-owned businesses. If you needed one more reason to love local small businesses, that should be it!
How to Shop Local across WNC
There are so many ways to support local Western North Carolina businesses during Small Business Saturday and throughout the year. From ceramics to blown glass to that necklace that you noticed caught her eye, area artisans have many fine items for sale. In addition, our region is full of specialty boutiques that carry locally produced products, including honey, foodstuffs, yarn, outdoors gear, and so much more.
Wherever you are in WNC, you can feel great supporting local businesses while crossing unique gift items off your holiday shopping lists.
There are several easy ways to find local businesses participating in Small Business Saturday promotions. Perhaps the easiest is to search Twitter, Instagram, or other social media platforms for the #SmallBusinessSaturday hashtag. (Alternatives like #SmallBizSat and #SmallBizSaturday are also popular.) Your NAI Beverly-Hanks agent is also a great resource for local shopping options.
So get out there, get shopping, and feel great about joining the #SupportLocal movement this season!
Where will you be shopping this holiday weekend? Let us know your plans in the comments!
*Small Business Saturday is a registered trademark of American Express. For more about Small Business Saturday and to rally your neighborhood, visit americanexpress.com. This post is in no way sponsored or endorsed by American Express—we just love local!