Small Business Saturday puts focus on independent retailers, restaurants and others
Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
Shopping small makes a big difference. That’s been the message of Small Business Saturday since 2010 when American Express established the Saturday after Black Friday to encourage shoppers to support small businesses.
As retailers and restaurants have jumped on board by promoting Small Business Saturday, which this year is Nov. 26, consumers have returned the favor.
In 2021, according to AE’s Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, spending among U.S. consumers at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $23.3 billion, up 18% from $19.8 billion in 2020 and an increase from pre-pandemic spending of $19.6 billion in 2019.
Shop Small celebrates small businesses ranging from retail stores and restaurants to fitness studios, salons, and everything in between.
“Small Business Saturday is so important to the businesses in our cities and towns. Thriving small businesses are a critical part of our economic vitality, not only in bringing in dollars and tax revenue, but also in creating jobs and giving back to the community through local sponsorship,” said Blaine Parker, director of entrepreneurship and small business for Radius Indiana.
“Small businesses help provide the foundation for local growth and improve quality of life; according to a recent report on spending in the Radius region, for every $1 spent, over half of that dollar stays local,” Parker said. “And, that number increases when local shop owners also use local vendors for their inventory, creating a strong regional supply chain. So remember this holiday season to buy local, spend local. Your community is counting on it.”
Beginning Nov. 16, the Southern Indiana Business Report will profile several small, locally owned businesses in the Radius Indiana region. From clothing boutiques in Salem and Paoli and a coffee shop in Shoals, to a diner in Marengo that offers axe-throwing and painting classes, you’ll meet business owners who have invested not just in their ventures, but in their communities with the vision of offering products, services and entertainment close to home.
These are just a few of the many businesses in southern Indiana that give our communities a sense of place and a place to gather.
We all want a variety of places to shop local, but it’s up to us to support them.
We hope you’ll take the time to read about these businesses and consider supporting them and the many other small businessses during the holiday shopping season and throughout the year.
Coming this week in SIBR, profiles of:
- Big Creek Boutique in Paoli
- Happy Hive in Marengo
- REM Bicycle & Fitness in Jasper
- Lincks Clothing and Shoes in Salem
- Bauer Family Coffee Shop in Shoals
- Hoover’s Candy Shop in Bedford