Record Number of Consumers Are Aware of Small Business Saturday®, Almost two-thirds (65%) plan to spend at least $100
November 18 2015 - 09:00AM
Business Wire
Small Business Saturday is November
28th
77 percent of U.S. consumers are planning to
‘Shop Small®’ this holiday season
As small business owners across the nation gear up for Small
Business Saturday, a record number of shoppers are making plans to
support their favorite local businesses. According to the
fourth-annual Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey,
released today by the National Federation of Independent Businesses
(NFIB) and American Express, supporting local small businesses
continues to be a priority for shoppers nationwide.
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Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010
as a response to small business owners’ most pressing need: getting
more customers. Held on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, Small
Business Saturday helps rally communities to support local
businesses. As Small Business Saturday enters its sixth year, 55
percent of U.S. consumers report they are aware of the day – the
highest figure yet recorded – and even more encouraging, 83 percent
say Small Business Saturday inspires them to Shop Small all year
long.
“Small Business Saturday is a major part of the holiday shopping
tradition, and has become a celebration of the local small business
owners that we call friends, neighbors and family,” said Janey
Whiteside, Senior Vice President and General Manager of American
Express OPEN. “We’re immensely proud to be a founding partner of
Small Business Saturday, and it is gratifying to see how it has
become the movement that it is today.”
“Small Business Saturday has grown every year and it's been a
big boost to Main Street America,” said NFIB CEO and President Dan
Danner. “We are very proud to partner with American Express once
again this year to promote an event that connects American
consumers with their hometown businesses.”
Additional findings from the Small Business Saturday Consumer
Insights Survey include:
- 80% of consumers are willing to pay
slightly more for an item if it is purchased from a small,
independently-owned retailer as opposed to online or at a large
retailer
- On average, consumers are planning to
do 35% of their holiday shopping at small businesses
- 45% of consumers who expect to shop on
the day plan to spend more on Small Business Saturday this year
than they spent last year
- Almost two-thirds (64%) of consumers
who plan to shop on Small Business Saturday are motivated by the
contributions that small businesses make to their community
Community Involvement Grows; Additional
Activities Provide Shopping Experiences Throughout the
Day
Part of what helps make Small Business Saturday a success is the
Small Business Saturday Coalition, which helps rally communities to
Shop Small on November 28th. The Coalition was created in 2011 and
is led by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP). The Coalition is
comprised of national, state and local associations that help
coordinate Shop Small activities with merchants, consumers and
small business owners.
Another important group that drives Small Business Saturday
activities is Neighborhood Champions, which is comprised of small
businesses, business associations, local Chambers of Commerce, and
other community organizers. To date, more than 3,500 Neighborhood
Champions – an increase of 26 percent from 2,786 in 2014 – have
signed up to plan local community activities leading up to and on
the day.
In order to bring the Shop Small message to an even wider
audience, American Express will work with the following
organizations to highlight the variety of local businesses that
make our communities unique:
- Well+Good Well+Good, a wellness
media company, will help Small Business Saturday reach a new
segment of businesses in the health and wellness space by
spotlighting boutique fitness studio owners in cities across the
U.S. Event locations include independently-owned studios in Boston,
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
- Cherry BombeCherry Bombe, an
independent magazine about women and food, will spotlight the
importance of frequenting independent restaurants, cafes and coffee
shops on Small Business Saturday. Events will consist of a
breakfast in Chicago, a pie party in Brooklyn, and a dinner in
Oakland. To amplify these events and Small Business Saturday,
Cherry Bombe will create shopping guides of top independent places
to dine and shop in each of the three markets.
- Record Store Day Record Store
Day (RSD), an organization created to celebrate the unique culture
surrounding nearly 1,400 record stores in the U.S., will coordinate
special events and performances at independently-owned record
stores nationwide. A sample of events include:
- An album release by Ian Karmel at Music
Millennium in Portland, OR
- New album release from hip-hop artist
Spose at Bull Moose in Portland, ME
- Performance from My Goodness at Silver
Platters in Seattle, WA
- Performance from Third Eye Blind at
Dimple Records in Sacramento, CA
- Street ArtWorking with Juxtapoz,
the monthly magazine that covers contemporary art, American Express
commissioned #ShopSmall murals in neighborhoods across the country.
Artists in twenty markets will create works that express and bring
to life the special qualities of their local communities, engaging
the support of local businesses that embody the vibrancy of the
neighborhoods. American Express is also collaborating with 1xRUN, a
Detroit-based publisher of fine art editions. For Small Business
Saturday, 1xRUN will be working with Seattle-based painter Mary
Iverson to publish a fine art print that illustrates how her art
career functions as a small business.
Show Your Love for Small Businesses on
Social Media
Social media and word of mouth are invaluable tools for raising
awareness of small businesses and the Shop Small Movement in
general. To become part of the nationwide conversation this year
and show support for Small Business Saturday, consumers and small
businesses are encouraged to show their love for their favorite
independent businesses leading up to and on Small Business Saturday
by using the #ShopSmall hashtag on Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter.
Also new this year, Facebook is creating custom Small Business
Saturday content for consumers and small business owners. One
example is the official Small Business Saturday Facebook event,
which will help shoppers mark their calendars and share their plans
with family and friends. Additionally, by visiting the “Facebook
for Business” blog post, small businesses can learn more about how
Facebook can help market their businesses on Small Business
Saturday.
Official Supporters of Small Business
Saturday
In addition to the relationships listed above, American Express
has enlisted the support of many companies who have signed on as
Official Supporters. Together these companies reach millions of
small business customers and consumers and are key players in the
retail, telecom, media, hospitality, transportation, and
professional services industries. Some of the medium and
large-sized companies that will be participating include FedEx,
Sam’s Club, AT&T, Hertz, Eventbrite and Etsy.
About the Survey The Small
Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey was conducted among a
nationally representative sample of 1,847 males and females 18
years of age or older. The sample was collected using an email
invitation and an online survey. The study was conducted
anonymously by independent marketing performance specialist
Ebiquity on October 19-27, 2015. The survey has an overall margin
of error of +/- 2.3%, at the 95% level of confidence.
About Small Business
Saturday November 28th marks the sixth annual Small
Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting the local
businesses that can help create jobs, boost the economy and
preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday
was created by American Express in 2010 in response to small
business owners’ most pressing need: more customers.
About NFIB NFIB is the
nation’s leading small business association, with offices in
Washington, D.C., and all 50 states. Founded in 1943 as a
nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and
independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy
issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of
grassroots activists sends their views directly to state and
federal lawmakers through its unique member-only ballot, thus
playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise
system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of its
members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information
about NFIB is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151118005350/en/
for American ExpressM BoothRyan Walker,
212-388-7677RyanW@mbooth.comorNFIBJack Mozloom,
202-406-4450jack.mozloom@nfib.orgorAmerican Express OPENHeather
Norton, 212-640-0496heather.a.norton@aexp.com
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