Small Business Saturday is Essential: Please Shop Local!

Holiday shoppers alienated with the traditional bedlam of Black Friday should support Small Business Saturday by shopping locally on November 30 — whether done in person or online.

You can find an amazing mix of unique gifts and exceptional services to purchase for family and friends, while contributing to the well-being of your community’s economy.

From its 2010 inception by American Express, and co-sponsored by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) since 2011, Small Business Saturday has generated some $201 billion in consumer spending.

In 2023 — the program’s 14th Anniversary year — an estimated 110 million consumers shopped and/or dined on Small Business Saturday, generating a record $17 billion in spending. This was less than $1 million off 2022′s revenue ($17.9B) despite economic factors ranging from higher inflation to the increased cost of goods and services, according to its annual Consumer Insights Survey.

Today, small businesses (500 employees or less) account for nearly 33.2 million U.S. businesses (99 percent of all businesses), employ 46.4 percent of those working in the private sector (61.7M), and create two out of every three new jobs.

For many communities, sales taxes account for a municipality’s largest source of budget revenue, often offsetting any need for a property tax increase. Home-rule municipalities like Elmhurst benefit even more from local taxes on food and beverage, retail, motor fuel, etc.

More importantly, 68% of every $1 spent at a local small business stays in the community, as compared to 44% from a big box retailer.

There are numerous benefits to shopping “small” this holiday season—and all year ‘round!

For more information about Shop Small Saturday, please contact:

Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce : 300A W Lake St., Suite 201 : Elmhurst, IL 60126 : 630-834-6060 : elmhurstchamber.org