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Updated: November 28, 2024 @ 9:12 am
City Editor
Small Business Saturday, a 15-year-old push to back local businesses as the holiday shopping season begins, will return this weekend.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that since the event began in 2010, consumers have spent $210 billion at small businesses on Small Business Saturday.
“The event every year falls on the day after Black Friday, to remind shoppers of the importance of supporting local businesses in the midst of the peak holiday spending season,” Chamber officials said.
The event was founded by credit card company American Express to boost local sales in the aftermath of the Great Recession. The company reported efforts are being tailored to help businesses impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton earlier this year.
The day will also serve as a kickoff for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s second annual Season of Small Business campaign across the region.
“Small businesses create two-thirds of net new jobs, making them crucial pillars of our community,” said SBA Buffalo District Director Victoria Reynolds. “Choosing to Shop Small at a local business is a meaningful show of support for entrepreneurs and small business sellers so they can continue to generate jobs, stimulate the economy, and contribute to the vibrancy of our local neighborhoods.”
The Season of Small Business effort will continue through December and encourages consumers to support the more than 34 million U.S. small businesses throughout the holiday season. In the last few years, the U.S. has experienced a small business boom with 20 million new business applications filed nationwide, driven mostly by women and people of color.
Beyond spending their dollars locally, shoppers can further support their local small businesses through their social media posts. All shoppers are encouraged to showcase their experiences by posting photographs of the stores they visited, and treasures they found, on social media using the hashtags like #SmallBizSaturday, #ShopLocal and #ShopSmall
To learn more about SBA’s support of Small Business Saturday, visit sba.gov/saturday.
Many area small businesses will offer sales and deals on Saturday — too many to list in a news report. For information on individual retailers, visit their social media accounts or stop by the stores on Saturday.
City Editor
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