Illustration by: Dave Zylstra
The term “Black Friday,” a reference to the day after Thanksgiving and, traditionally, the kick-off of holiday season shopping, dates to 1961. “Cyber Monday”—the Monday after Thanksgiving when everyone goes back to work and, at least when the boss isn’t looking, shops online—made its official debut in 2005. With those twin pillars of holiday season shopping, large American companies have succeeded in driving end-of-year consumption by offering major deals and discounts. But since 2010, there have been new contenders in the post-Thanksgiving shopping rush with their own designated retail day: small businesses.
A Credit Card Campaign Turned National Cause
What we now know as Small Business Saturday was first conceived by a credit card company, American Express, in 2009. Obviously, the idea was to draw consumers into using their American Express cards, but with a focus on what the company perceived, rather correctly, as a theretofore overlooked segment of the retail market in terms of holiday season marketing. The effort also served to help small companies still suffering from the effects of a recession that was stifling spending nationwide at the time. The country was, in fact, just emerging from a financial crisis that had shuttered some 200,000 small businesses. American Express launched Small Business Saturday on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2010 as a way to encourage Americans to reopen their wallets. The campaign’s immediate success meant it didn’t take long before others took notice.
In 2011, Congress designated a “National Small Business Saturday” holiday (which falls on Nov. 30 this year). In 2012, consumers spent an estimated $5.5 billion at small retailers on Small Business Saturday. By 2015, that amount nearly tripled to $16.2 billion, and approximately 1.3 million small businesses participated in the event, as did 95 million consumers. In 2016, an estimated 112 million shoppers participated in the seventh annual Small Business Saturday, setting a new record.
According to the 2018 SBS Consumer Insights Survey, total reported spending by American consumers who said they shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached a record high of approximately $17.8 billion. This survey also reported that more than 70% of consumers are now at least aware of the Small Business Saturday initiative. Based on this annual survey, Small Business Saturday spending has now reached a reported estimate of $103 billion since the day’s official designation started.
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The goal of Small Business Saturday is to remind consumers that they play a key role in helping the small businesses in their community thrive and encourage them to get out, shop and dine at local (and locally owned and operated) stores and restaurants. The term “Small Business Saturday” remains a registered trademark of American Express (the U.S. Small Business Administration became a cosponsor in 2015), but it has long outgrown its origins. A trademarked name, strange backstory and holiday season shopping aside, Small Business Saturday is now part of an all-year-long “Shop Small” campaign—a nationwide movement to celebrate small businesses every day.
But it’s just so easy to drive right past the mom-and-pop shops to the big box stores or the shopping malls that seemingly have it all—or, as is increasingly the case, simply let technology do the heavy lifting: Don’t go anywhere, sit back and use your computer or cellphone to order what you want via the internet. Brick-and-mortar stores in general are struggling to find ways to get people to step through their doors, let alone small, family owned shops, in an age when virtually anything can be purchased over the internet from almost anywhere on the planet.
“In the age of Amazon, we are in danger of losing the money that would be spent in our community,” says Kurt Bauer, owner of Brady Street Futons on Milwaukee’s East Side. “We’re in danger of losing the community hubs all over the country. Realizing this, I think people are starting to shop more locally, so if there’s a day set aside to put out a shout for small, independent businesses, I’ll take it! It’s really more of a ‘Preserve the Community’ Saturday event.”
‘Preserve the Community’ Saturday
In the Milwaukee area, small businesses have a powerful advocate—Local First Milwaukee—a business alliance comprised of independent, locally owned businesses and non-profit organizations. Local First Milwaukee defines “local” as a business or non-profit that is privately held and located within the five county metro Milwaukee area (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington and Racine counties). It has more than 200 members, none of which has a corporate or national headquarters outside of Wisconsin; its member businesses participate in community activities and assist local charities, helping preserve the region’s unique character.
“There are so many important reasons to shop at local, independently owned businesses, especially in your own neighborhood,” says Elizabeth Baehmann, Local First Milwaukee’s executive director. “One of the most common statistics is that of every $100 spent at a local business, $68 will stay in the community, as opposed to $43 dollars if you shop at a national chain. More money staying local creates opportunities for local jobs, keeps communities vibrant and provides more unique and tailored shopping experiences. Also, you build relationships that are important to a nurturing community, and there are environmental impacts of shopping local as less transportation and packaging are needed. We say it ‘takes a village’ to effect positive change, and there is no better representation of that then the buying power of a local community.”
“Choosing a local business means your money is invested in entrepreneurship, which is still considered the backbone of our economy,” Baehmann continues. “Entrepreneurship inspires innovation and agility, and it stimulates more growth in local communities. Personally, I like Target. It has the brands I want, it’s a one-stop shop, and things are reasonably priced; I shop there from time to time. Buying local is a choice I practice on a regular basis, because the experience is just more meaningful to me. Having a background in entrepreneurship, I understand what it takes to pour your heart into your craft, while equally having the business savvy (and confidence) to put it out into the world.”
Buying local is a choice a shopper makes; that choice shouldn’t always be simply what’s cheapest or most expedient. Shopping local is a thoughtful approach to being a consumer and a member of a larger community. “Knowing my money is investing in someone else’s craft gives me joy—even if it sometimes costs a bit more on the front end,” Baehmann explains. “Local businesses are smaller and more curated. I would rather go to Beans and Barley or Outpost, because I trust what products are being sold, I know more of my money will stay local, and the energy of a smaller environment helps me stay focused and not overspend, which can create waste. It’s not always possible or convenient to buy locally, but it’s possible to be more aware and consciously shift our buying power into local, independent businesses, thus creating and sustaining vibrant communities.”
“When you buy from a brick-and-mortar store locally, it is employing fellow residents; they are directly getting paid, and their dollars feed the local community,” adds Mary Hoehne, executive director of Granville Business Improvement District (BID) (Granville, home to more than 50,000 residents and a workday location to another 37,000, is on Milwaukee’s northwest side). “When you buy on the internet, the only local person touching that product is often the delivery person. The purse you purchase online doesn’t bring any money into the Milwaukee economy. The purse you purchase at our Holly Jolly Market, however, helps fund a dream of a start-up entrepreneur, and the profits stay local with a local resident. We stop the flow of money outside of Milwaukee. We make our money here; let’s spend our money here and make certain more people enjoy the fruits of all of our labor.”
‘Everyone Becomes a Friend’
Steph Salvia is the executive director of Brady Street BID, one of the city’s most popular business districts, running nine blocks east to west from Lake Michigan to the Milwaukee River. Salvia touches on the primary draws of eschewing impersonal internet buying: the human, tactile benefits inherent to the in-person shopping experience. “I am the person who wants to be able to try things on, feel the fabric of the clothing I’m buying and make sure the shoe fits, quite literally, before I buy,” she says. “I want to pick up the candle and smell it. I want to order the coffee that was roasted right here or the jewelry that was crafted right around the corner. I want to keep the money right within the community; that feels good to me.”
“The business owners on Brady Street are some of the hardest-working people I know. Also, if you spend any time in the businesses here, the owners get to know you, and everyone becomes a friend. All of the business owners on our street support one another, and Small Business Saturday is truly just a celebration of what it means to be a community,” Salvia says.
Within our larger communities, individual towns, villages and neighborhoods have also thoroughly embraced the ethos of Small Business Saturday. The Historic Third Ward in Downtown Milwaukee invites you to “explore the Ward and enjoy special incentives at select shops and restaurants.” Menomonee Falls is hosting a “Christmas Market” in its downtown area that includes Santa Claus, horse and carriage rides, merchant specials, business open houses and specialty vendors. Many businesses in Greendale will be offering special sales, coupons, giveaways, demos, prizes, sidewalk sales, book signings and extended hours of business. In Pewaukee, there’s a “Good Harvest Market” with 10-20% discounts on Wisconsin-made products.
“There is so much talent and wonderful products that come directly from our state. We want to support these other businesses, give back to our beloved city and enjoy the fruits of our labor,” explains Sheila Pufahl-Bettin, owner of Brewed Cafe in Milwaukee. “As a small business, we offer something unique to the community that you can’t find anywhere else. We hope that people appreciate who we are and what we provide to our city and neighborhood. It takes a lot of hard work, but it’s what we love to do. As our livelihood, we hope that the community supports us. Our little coffee shop is a symbol of our heritage and love for the community.”
Small Business Saturday, much like its elder cousins, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, has become not only a central part of the gift-giving holiday season in the U.S. but also the national economy. But, unlike its fellows, it has so much more of that old-fashioned charm about it—reminding older people of what holiday shopping was like when they were young—but for everyone, serving as a reminder of how very important it is to invest in your local community.
