This past Saturday marked the 11th Annual Small Business Saturday hailed as one of the largest shopping days of the season. Results of the American Express 2020 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey show that there is great awareness of Small Business Saturday with 97% of shoppers understanding the positive impact they can make by shopping at small, local retailers. Additionally, 85% of these local fans report that they also encouraged friends and family to do follow their lead.
This awareness and positive impact are not limited to in-person shopping experiences; they also extend to online shopping. As the pandemic changed the retail landscape, one lasting change is that many small businesses pivoted to selling online or through social media platforms. Consumers seem to have appreciated the move with 56% of Small Business Saturday shoppers reporting they shopped online with a small business on the day, an increase from 43% the year before.
Campaigns to inspire consumers to recommend their favorite small and local businesses via social media work to amplify the impact shoppers can make. Results from the nationwide AMEX campaign have been encouraging, with more than half of respondents saying they supported a small business via social media either by recommending favorite or shopping at a newly discovered small business.
So, consumers know how important it is to shop local, know how valuable local businesses are to a vibrant local economy, and understand the importance of sharing their favs on social media. These are great strides in strengthening the amazing local economy we have here in Austin. We’ve still got our work cut out for us though – onward!