MORE SO THAN EVER, SHOPPERS PLANNING TO VISIT A SMALL BUSINESS THIS WEEKEND
MADISON
(November 23, 2015)–As small business owners across the nation gear up for Small Business Saturday this week, 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 by the National Federation
of Independent Businesses (NFIB) and
American Express, supporting local small businesses continues to be a priority
for shoppers nationwide.
“Every
year we see people jumping up from the Thanksgiving table and running into big
box stores to fight over electronics before the oven has even cooled off.
People are finally wising up to the absurd concept and realizing that using
small businesses for holiday shopping is a much more civilized experience,”
According to Bill G. Smith, NFIB Wisconsin state director.
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 has become a major part of the holiday
shopping tradition, as community members celebrate local small business owners
by patronizing their places of businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving,”
continued Smith. “The day is dedicated to increasing awareness of the hard
working small business owners that are just around the corner from our homes.”
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
“The results of this year’s survey are promising and our members are
certainly gearing up for a very busy weekend this weekend. Shopping small,
especially during the holiday season has become a true community wide event,”
Concluded Smith.
