Maine businesses gear up for Small Business Saturday
Courtesy / Main Street Bath
The city of Bath joins Maine communities statewide that will celebrate Small Business Saturday this weekend as part of a national movement to encourage buying from local merchants.
Communities and organizations across the state are promoting "Small Business Saturday" this weekend, the seventh year of the movement to encourage buying from local merchants.
While consumers are still focused on Black Friday, a growing number also plan to shop locally on Saturday.
The National Retail Federation estimated that 164 million people, 69% of Americans, planned to shop, or were considering shopping during Thanksgiving weekend. The annual survey was released Nov. 14 by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
The survey found that 20% plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day — a statistic largely moot in Maine, where most larger businesses, by law, are closed — while 70% plan to shop on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday. The survey found that 43% also said they plan to shop on Saturday and, of those, 76% said it was specifically to support Small Business Saturday.
Another 48% said they expect to shop on “cyber Monday,” Nov. 27, the day when internet sales tend to boom. Some 21% said they plan to shop the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. Last year, 154 million people shopped on Thanksgiving weekend and 40% of those went to local stores on Small Business Saturday.
According to American Express, which started Small Business Saturday in 2010, last year 112 million people shopped at local businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving, an increase of 13% from 2015.
The impetus for Small Business Saturday, which was started by American Express in 2010, is to take some of the momentum from Black Friday and turn it into a local economic advantage.
Maine communities promoting Small Business Saturday
In Maine, retailers, economic development groups and municipalities around the state are encouraging shoppers to patronize local stores, and some are taking it further, offering special events.
Elements Art Gallery in Bethel is promoting the day as a pajama party, with a 6 a.m. breakfast at the Sudbury Inn, and shops opening at 7 a.m. Organizers are encouraging shoppers to shop “in your best pajamas,” to promote early bird deals.
Other communities are taking a more basic approach.
Brunswick Downtown Association, for example, has scheduled its annual tree-lighting ceremony to bring families downtown as part of its Small Business Saturday celebration. It’s offering free horse-and-carriage rides from 2 p.m to 5 p.m., with “Santa and Frosty the Snowman” scheduled to arrive at 3 p.m. on a fire truck. Santa will then take a seat on the town’s gazebo to give children the opportunity to share their Christmas wishes. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Brunswick High School Chorus will sing carols, followed by the tree-lighting at 5 p.m.
Hot cocoa, coffee and cookies will be served on the town mall throughout the afternoon.
Tips from Maine state director of NFIB
“If you’re a local merchant, you can’t afford to skip Small Business Saturday,” said David Clough, Maine state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, said in a news release.
Last year, shoppers spent $15.4 billion at locally-owned stores and restaurants on Small Business Saturday, according to a survey by NFIB and American Express. The number of shoppers who shopped small on Small Business Saturday was up 13% from 2015, the survey said.
Clough said it’s not too late for small businesses to come up with a plan for Small Business Saturday. Here's his suggested checklist:
- Remind shoppers that you sell merchandise they can’t find anyplace else. Sixty-one percent of shoppers say they shop at small businesses to find “unique products,” according to NFIB.
- Showcase the merchandise that would make a great gift. "Your customers will be looking for presents for themselves as well as for their friends and family," Clough said. "You might want to put a group of items on a table with a sign saying it would be perfect gift for Dad or a great gift for the grandparents." Restaurants can do the same thing by offering Small Business Saturday specials and promoting gift cards, he said.
- Steal a page from the Black Friday playbook and offering "door busters." "The chains know a great way to drive shoppers into their stores is by offering special deals at different times of the day," Clough said. "There's no reason a small business can't do the same thing."
- Stay on top of your social media. "If you're on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Pinterest, be sure to post often and promote any Small Business Saturday deals," Clough said. "You should also consider spending a few bucks to promote your posts. That way, people will be more likely to see them." Use the hashtags #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSaturday so shoppers can find you easily.
“Small Business Saturday is an opportunity for shopkeepers to really shine,” Clough said. “This Saturday will afford them the chance to win customers who will continue to support them throughout the year.”
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story has been updated to remove an incorrect reference to Lewiston, Idaho — not our own city on the banks of the Androscoggin River.
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