An estimated 43% of American adults shopped or dined small on Small Business Saturday

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 195 views 

Mural in downtown Fayetteville. Courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.

As Small Business Saturday closed out its eighth year on Saturday, (Nov. 25), shoppers provided an encouraging boost to small businesses at the start to the holiday shopping season.

According to data from the 2017 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, released Monday (Nov. 27) by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and American Express, an estimated 108 million consumers reported shopping or dining at local independently-owned businesses.

The Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey also reported 70% of U.S consumers are aware of Small Business Saturday. In addition to support on Main Streets, shoppers turned out for online small businesses, with 35% reporting that they shopped small businesses online on Saturday.

Other insights from survey include:

  • Shoppers made Small Business Saturday an all-day affair, as 58% of those who participated in the day reported shopping or dining at more than one small, independently-owned retailer or restaurant.
  • On a national level, nearly half (48%) of consumers who participated in Small Business Saturday reported visiting a small business that they had not previously been to.
  • In Arkansas, furniture/home décor stores stood out as the type of business visited most on Small Business Saturday compared to the national average.

Full results of the survey and an interactive infographic with state by state breakouts can be found at this link.