The day after Black Friday, and the Saturday after Thanksgiving, isn't just another shopping experience or day to recover from the holiday - it's Small Business Saturday, a nationwide celebration of local businesses and the communities they serve!
In our last post, we talked about how small local businesses really epitomize the NC culture. Now let's get down to why you should spend your time and money at these businesses, particularly why you should participate in Small Business Saturday.
What is Shop Small and Small Business Saturday?
Shop Small was first coined by American Express in 2010, encouraging people to shop at small businesses as a way to stimulate our US economy, with Small Business Saturday being the headlining event of this growing movement.
Shop local is used far and wide across the US by cities, states and regions as their banner to draw attention to the initiative to shop even more specifically at the shops within that local community they represent and Small Business Saturday, to put it simply, is the Black Friday of the small business world.
With around $17 billion spent on Small Business Saturday in the past, the event has established a regular spot on the annual holiday shopping calendar (literally right between Black Friday and Cyber Monday).1 This is great news for our communities as $68 of every $100 spent is funneled back into the community.2
Why is Small Business Saturday so special?
One of the day's key attractions is the unique gifts that are in abundant supply at your local mom-and-pop shops coupled with the friendly, personal customer service that is becoming increasingly harder to find. So often these unique gifts are created carefully, thoughtfully with an attention to the product that can't be found in mass produced items found at large retailers.
While large retailers come in quick and early (well before Halloween this year!) with their holiday season deals, local shops have the distinct advantage not only with their unique, quality products but also in how they turn the day into a celebration. They'll often host events taking place on this day from sip-and-shop, to holiday photo shoots, live music, to pop-up markets with small businesses partnering together.
When is it?
Small Business Saturday falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, on Saturday, November 29, this year. Many small businesses participate with sales both in store and online so if you have the opportunity to take some time out of your Thanksgiving weekend, whether that's in person or online, be sure to check it out, support your community and find some amazing gifts for your friends and loved ones, and maybe yourself too!
References
1 Bureau, US Census (2024, November 26). Small business saturday: November 30, 2024. Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/small-business-saturday.html
2 Shopping Local Statistics (2025): Benefits of buying & supporting. (2025, June 1). Capital One. https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/shopping-local-statistics/#nc