This Saturday, shop small! Against big retail shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Shop small! Whatever you want to do with your shopping budget this holiday shopping season, be sure that on this particular day – Saturday, November 24th, 2012 – you spend your money nowhere else than your local stores!
The next question would be: Why? The easy answer: Because your local stores are run by your friends, family and neighbours; because your local stores impact your local community; because your local stores are like butterfly effect; one flap of its wings will cause huge “climate” changes – in this case, the national economy.
This Saturday is Small Business Saturday. Celebrated in the US starting from November 27, 2010, it poses as a counterpart of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are “the days” for major retailers. American Express is the pioneer of the “shop small” movement – thus the event is heavily endorsed and sponsored by American Express.
If you are not convinced yet whether supporting your local small business will have big impact, check out this US survey results on small business shopping, visualized as an infographic (courtesy of American Express):
Note: For the original size, go to https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/Shop-Small/small-business-impact
Local businesses offer job opportunities
Wow – simply an eye opener! Whilst many of us underestimate how local businesses impact the economy, the survey results show the otherwise – at least in the US. Almost half of US total payroll is small businesses’. In fact, in the last 17 years (until 2009,) 65 percent of new jobs are created by small biz.
“buy local” initiatives boost small biz’ growth
And here’s the reason for small biz to join the “shop small” movement: Local stores that join “buy local” initiative nearly triples their growth rate; they enjoys 5.6 percent growth in 2010 – compare that figure with the 2.1 percent of those without the initiative.
How customers feel about local stores
In short, they think small biz are heroes! 93 percent respondents of a survey believe that it’s important to support local small business they fave in the community. Moreover, 89 percent of consumers think that small biz positively impact their local communities…
Bottom line: Small biz rocks!
Imagine what will happen if the American shopping holiday’s concept is follow-through worldwide; imagine how the economy recovers thanks to the mom-and-pop shop just around the corner of your neighbourhood. Or go to your favourite local e-commerce shop to buy unique, specialised products – gifts for men/women, novelty products for friends and family and such.
Heck, why don’t we just shop small this Saturday wherever you are in the world, organised or not; just a personal endeavour to show your appreciation of what your local stores have given to your community would be more than sufficient (remember the butterfly effect I mentioned above?)
For more information regarding this year’s Small Business Saturday, check out ShopSmall.com. Also make sure to visit the official Facebook page here.
So, are you ready to shop small and support your local heroes?
Ivan Widjaya
I will shop small – definitely!