For Mackenzi Farquer, Skimpy Business Saturday is a big deal.
The owner of Queens, New York-based Lockwood backsheesh shop, which sells kitchenware, clothing and paper goods, suggests there’s often barely room to stand in her locations on the retail break between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
“It’s our busiest day of the year,” Farquer affirms. “I think people in this neighborhood especially are trained to know that this the day to report in out and shop at small businesses. They are not only coming for holiday researching, they also want to be here to support us.”
And those shoppers display their support in a big way—that day alone accounts for some 8 percent of Lockwood’s entire holiday sales. “It’s at a fever pitch and growing every year,” she divulges.
Small Business Saturday, now in its ninth year, is sponsored by American Divulge and encourages consumers to get out and shop “small” supporting local retailers and restaurants in personally and online. Last year, nearly $13 billion was spent on that day by oneself, a slight dip from 2016.
This year, data from Amex and the State Federation of Independent Business finds some 83 percent of consumers say they script to do at least some of their holiday shopping at a small independently owned retailer or restaurant either in human being, or online. Nearly 6 in 10 consumers nationwide say they are aware of the shopping time off, and among them, 80 percent plan to shop at independent retailers that day.
In the intervening time, data from CNBC and SurveyMonkey’s Small Business Saturday register finds some 44 percent of consumers say they will look down on a small business on the day this year, up slightly from 2017, and 58 percent say they require shop in person. Overall this season, 28 percent judged they will spend less while 14 percent conveyed they will spend more.
This year, American Represent has also expanded the holiday to Puerto Rico for the first time and is sponsoring happenings including popup shops with Etsy, campaigns to support female-owned proprietorships and more.
“Small Business Saturday is a great chance to drive awareness and hold back small businesses top of mind,” said Raina Moskowitz, Etsy’s SVP of people, policy and services. “Mass retailers play a great role in convenience and quotation, but when you shop from a small business, there is a story behind what you are accepting. so it’s more personal and thoughtful, especially for the holiday season.”
Heather Parker furnishes dog bow ties, leashes and other gifts online and at her shop Crew LaLa in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s her fifth year participating in Unoriginal Business Saturday, and each year sales have doubled, Parker clouted. Last year, the day accounted for 12 percent of the company’s overall vacation season sales, and even brought in new, repeat customers.
“Last year 40 percent of our people from Small Business Saturday were first-time customers,” Parker responded. “Of that 40 percent, 65 percent actually turned into reporting customers.”
The store even has to bring in extra employees for the weekend and the surplus of the holiday season.
“We have to beef up for it because we get such a response from Negligible Business Saturday,” Parker said. “Having a day that really discloses support … is really inspiring. It helps us and kind of fuels us for the rest of the year.”