Five Tips to Help Hawaii Shops and Restaurants Succeed on Nov. 26

November 10, 2022

Five Tips to Help Hawaii Shops and Restaurants Succeed on Nov. 26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Melissa Pavlicek, Hawaii State Director, mpavlicek@hawaiipublicpolicy.com or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, anthony.malandra@nfib.org Honolulu, Nov. 10, 2022—As chain stores and online retailers launch their holiday sales earlier and earlier in the season, Black Friday will not have the appeal it once did, but Small Business Saturday keeps getting bigger and bigger. This year, Small Business Saturday falls on Nov. 26. Last year, spending at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $23.3 billion, up 18% from $19.8 billion the year before and a substantial increase from the $19.6 billion spent in 2019, according to a survey by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). ““The loss of so many beloved local businesses underscores the importance of supporting Hawaii vendors,” said Melissa Pavlicek, Hawaii state director for NFIB, the nation’s leading small business association. “The twin ravages of inflation and inability to find workers have compounded the challenges for Hawaii sellers. That’s why, not since the founding reason for the creation of Small Business Saturday, has there been a more urgent time that it succeeds again. All that’s required is for all of us to dedicate some of our holiday shopping money for our local small businesses.” Small Business Saturday began in 2010 when many Main Street businesses were struggling to recover from the Great Recession. Since then, it has become one of the biggest shopping days of the year, an opportunity for people to support the small, independent businesses that make their communities healthy. Here are some of the ways shops and restaurants can make the most of Small Business Saturday:

Stay on top of your social media. If you’re on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Pinterest, post often and promote any Small Business Saturday deals. Use the hashtags #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSat so shoppers can find you easily.
Showcase merchandise that would make a great gift. Group items on a table with a sign saying it would be the perfect gift for mom or grandparents, for example. Restaurants can offer Small Business Saturday specials and gift cards.
Offer doorbusters. Chain stores know a great way to drive shoppers to their stores is by offering exclusive deals at different times of the day. There’s no reason a small business can’t do the same thing.
Partner with nearby businesses. Pool your resources to buy advertising promoting the neighborhood as a shopping destination or team up with other merchants on in-store promotions. For example, if someone buys a shirt at one shop, tell them about the great deal on shoes next door.
Don’t forget to tell your regular customers about Small Business Saturday. Put a sign in your shop and flyers in bags reminding folks to come back the Saturday after Thanksgiving for exclusive deals.

### For nearly 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven association. Since its founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com. NFIB Hawaii 1099 Alakea St. Suite 2530 Honolulu, HI 96813 808-447-1840 NFIB.com/HI Twitter: @NFIB_HI