History of Small Business Saturday
American Express launched Small Business Saturday in November 2010 to help bring attention to smaller stores in communities and encourage shoppers to support local business instead of just mega-stores on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
By the next year, the day had become nationally supported and endorsed by local governments and the White House. In 2014, an estimated $14.3 billion was spent on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express.
Why Focus on Small Business Saturday?
Small Business Saturday is nestled in between the major shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – so it makes sense people (and their wallets) may want to take a break. Plus, it’s hard to believe local businesses can compete with deals from mega-sellers like Wal-Mart, Macy’s and Amazon. So why should a person embrace the shop small mentality?
The shop small movement is less about getting the best possible deal and more about supporting the local community. It helps keep cute cafes and mom-and-pop delis from turning into Starbucks and Quiznos. It also keeps money in the community.
In fact, according to the American Independent Business Alliance, 48 percent of the money spent on purchases at a local independent businesses is re-circulated locally, but less than 14 percent of purchases at chain stores stay within the community.
https://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday/
