With the shopping holidays seemingly dominated by big brands and national chains, more consumers are choosing to support local retailers on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Last year, consumers spent an estimated $22 billion at independent retailers and restaurants, according to American Express, which created Small Business Saturday 16 years ago. Many communities, such as Summit, New Jersey, have townwide events planned for this year.
This growing enthusiasm for local retail is an opportunity for small businesses to attract new customers and connect with the community, two business priorities highlighted in this year’s Forbes Research Small Business Survey.
Shoppers Reward Community-Minded Small Businesses
While a solid majority of small business owners surveyed by Forbes Research in 2024 recognized that customers prefer to support businesses that act with greater purpose and serve their communities, the portion of respondents who agreed with that statement shot up 10 percentage points to 81% in the latest survey.
Also trending higher in the survey are the percentage of owners who believe that small businesses cannot thrive without providing personalized customer experiences. Eighty-one percent of respondents agreed with that notion this year compared with 65% in 2024.
To combat the scaled efficiency of corporate marketing and deep discounts on display during the holiday shopping season, leaning into personalization could help small businesses differentiate themselves and attract more shoppers to Main Street — instead of the mall or Amazon.