Shopping Madness

Thanksgiving is over and now everyone is running around to try to get the best deals and savings for their Christmas shopping. Everyone knows that Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and is considered the biggest shopping day for retailers, but is also the beginning the Christmas shopping season. It is also been recorded that it is the largest spending day of the year. Because most companies have considered the day after Thanksgiving a holiday, this causes for more shoppers out there to spend their money.

Then there came Small Business Saturday, which started back in 2010. Again, a day to encourage holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local. There are many quotes out there to help small and local business, like myself, to help promote shopping. When you shop at small and local business, you are supporting the community and helping the owner with their dream of being an entrepreneur. Starting a business is hard and keeping it open is even hard, therefore, shopping small and local business helps a dream and a business, but most importantly, it helps cute cafes and mom-and-pop delis from turning into Starbucks and Quiznos. It also keep money in the community.

FACT: According to American Independent Business Alliance, 48% of the money spent on purchases at a local independent business is re-circulated locally, but less that 14% of purchase at a chain store stays within the community.

Cyber Monday is an additional day to encourage shopping online, whether it is a small business or a large chains. Many chains offer large discounts on this day to promote the company and sales, ever since the internet became more widely used of communicating and shopping. This all started back in 2005 and is being used around the world.

Tell me, how did you help your community on Small Business Saturday? Tomorrow is Cyber Monday, what small and large chain stores are you supporting?