After the conglomerates have hoarded the end of November with Black Friday and its counterparts (Cyber Monday, Cyber Week etc.), a more organic campaign follows which has been coined as Small Business Saturday which happens, in the UK, on the first Saturday of December each year.
Small Business Saturday is a major event in the United States which happens on the 30th November. The tradition has been passed over to the United Kingdom on a much smaller scale and occurs on the 7th December this year. It is described as a ‘grassroots, non-commercial campaign which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities’.
Currently supporting the campaign in the UK are companies such as American Express (who originally founded the US campaign in 2010), Federation of Small Business (FSB), Indeed, Xero. The campaign also thanks retail giants Amazon.
Small Business Saturday has been a prominent campaign in the UK for the several years and the most recent campaign, in 2018, saw an estimated £812 million spent in small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday. Research commissioned by American Express, the campaign’s primary supporter, found that 59% of people were aware of the day.
The campaign used social media to reach out to consumers – tweets about the campaign drew high engagement, reaching over 100 million people, and #SmallBizSatUK and #SmallBusinessSaturday were trending in the UK’s top 5 throughout the day. More Facebook and Instagram posts were put online acknowledging the campaign and sharing Small Business Saturday stories.
On top of this, the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchecquer and Mayor of London all voiced their support for the campaign. This year, the campaign has seen a bus visit several communities to put small businesses into the spotlight. The bus tour travels and calls at twenty-seven different towns and cities in the UK, over five weeks, and ends in London on Wednesday 4th December.
The director of Small Business Saturday, Michelle Ovens, said : “Each year this campaign has grown in support from government, business and communities alike, and so we can’t wait for December to come round and put small businesses in the spotlight once again. Small businesses are the heart of their communities, with 5.6 million keeping their local economies moving, providing jobs, training and unique services.”
Ovens also went on to say “This is not a campaign for one day, it is a year-round celebration of small businesses and we want to ensure the long-term success of those high street heroes and digital stars, with a campaign that showcases their contributions for months before and after Small Business Saturday.”
So, why not think about using the local businesses in Bangor whilst you are here? Like the Director of Small Business Saturday stated, there should be a year-round celebration of small businesses. Buying from local and small business has many advantageous prospects: it can reduce the environmental impact as local purchases require less transportation as well as the creation of more local ownership and good jobs. Small businesses and local businesses give communities a uniqueness that makes them one-of-a-kind and gives communities a distinct character.
Think about it, and shop small on the 7th December (and every other day, if/when you can!)
