Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday usually takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and is designed to champion small businesses during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.

It was a campaign created by American Express in 2010 to encourage shoppers to support small and local businesses in the US rather than industry giants who tend to cash in on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

The event is a massive opportunity for participating businesses, and not just brick-and-mortar stores—small online retailers stand to make a lot of sales. In fact, in 2018, ecommerce sales made up $3 billion of total spending on Small Business Saturday.

While the event can provide a boost to your small ecommerce business, you shouldn’t sit back and expect it. Utilize your social media channels to let customers know you’re taking part and create some excitement around the event. Use email marketing a few weeks in advance to let people know you’re running offers that weekend—people will be looking for deals during the holiday season, so don’t give them a chance to go elsewhere.