#SHOPSMALL

Hundreds of Tulsa businesses participate in Small Business Saturday

November 26 welcomes back the seventh annual Small Business Saturday and its accompanying #shopsmall hashtag in an effort to rally support for local business communities. Launched by American Express in 2010, the shopping day began as a marketing campaign to boost the credit card company’s small-business merchant sales. Today, the initiative is acknowledged on a local and nationwide level that gives well-deserved exposure to small businesses between the madness that is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

American Express initially drove popularity for the small business venture by offering monetary incentives—up to a $25 statement credit—to consumers for purchases made at local businesses with their Amex card on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2013, the incentive dwindled to $10 and eventually vanished all together in 2015. American Express reasoned on its website that the offer had served its purpose: It was motivating consumers to #shopsmall and therefore boosting local business communities. 

Since withdrawing its consumer incentive in 2015, American Express has relied largely on small business owners and national media attention to continue promoting Small Business Saturday. The combined efforts have gained the #shopsmall movement support of elected officials from all 50 states, and in 2015 it received formal recognition from the Senate, which made it an official U.S. holiday. And despite the decrease in shopping incentives over the last few years, campaign support and consumer awareness for Small Business Saturday have risen yearly since 2010, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. 

As Small Business Saturday continues to gain momentum, the newest holiday shopping trend is giving Black Friday a run for its money. In 2015, NFIB reported more than a 10 percent drop in sales on the Friday after Thanksgiving. But while the latest trends show shoppers prefer to avoid the early morning crowds and chaos that accompany Black Friday sales, they also reflect a growing consumer loyalty to the local business community. 

And Small Business Saturday encourages just that. 

In 2015, shoppers spent an estimated $16.2 billion at small independent businesses—a 14 percent rise from 2014. Additionally, 95 million consumers shopped at small businesses on Small Business Saturday, an increase of eight percent for 2015, according to a survey conducted by NFIB and American Express. 

The need for local and nationwide support in small business communities is exactly what the #shopsmall effort intended to meet. This time of year is vital for independent business owners because of potential sales revenue inextricably linked with the numerous culturally ingrained shopping days that follow Thanksgiving. And while big businesses have the necessary monetary and economical resources to advertise and provide shoppers with the best deals and discounts, small mom-and-pop shops have to get creative when it comes to reaching consumers looking for a steal. 

And that’s where Small Business Saturday makes all the difference. The #shopsmall campaign caters to the advertising needs of small business owners with free marketing through the use of social media platforms. The aim is to convince shoppers they can invest in their local communities and still enjoy the perks of holiday deals and discounts while they boast of their efforts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Tulsan and Ida Red boutique owner Angelene Wright says the “small” shopping generated through this stratagem benefits the economy and helps keep tax dollars in the local community. It doesn’t hurt that the ease with which independent stores can participate in the #shopsmall holiday gives local businesses a jump-start on holiday sales without the need for costly advertising. 

Circle Cinema, Garden Deva and Hideaway Pizza—to name a few—are among the now hundreds of independent businesses looking to benefit the Tulsa community with the #shopsmall initiative.

It's clear that Small Business Saturday brings a sense of togetherness to local communities. Wright has participated in the #shopsmall campaign every year since it started and says the small business holiday has been a great blessing to her and her business.

“We love the community involvement,” Wright says. “Every year it warms our hearts to see people come into the store with a special initiative to shop local and support the stores that they love.”