Small Business Saturday: Turning Shop Small Intent Into Sales

Small Business Saturday lands on November 28 this year, and the goodwill behind it is real. Shoppers like the idea of keeping their money in their own town. The trouble is that goodwill toward "local businesses" in general doesn't tell anyone which local business to walk into. In my work advising local business owners, I often see owners treat the day as a gift that arrives on its own, then wonder why the foot traffic went to the shop down the street.

Intention is not the same as a decision. A shopper who wants to shop small still has to think of a name, search for it, find it open and nearby, and feel good enough to go. Every one of those steps can go to someone else. The businesses that do well on Small Business Saturday tend to be the ones that were already on the shopper's short list weeks before the weekend.

What the Data Says About Holiday Intent and Timing

The numbers show both the size of the opportunity and how early the decisions start.

Holiday intent, timing and weekend turnout, with the source for each figure.

• Shop Small intent is high: In the 2025 American Express Shop Small Impact Study, conducted by Teneo in September and October 2025, 86% of consumers said they were likely to Shop Small during the holiday season.
• One day carries a lot of weight: The same study found small business owners expect nearly 20% of their annual revenue to come from Small Business Saturday sales alone. That is a lot of a year riding on one day you can't afford to leave to chance.
• The weekend crowd is enormous: The National Retail Federation counted a record 202.9 million shoppers over Thanksgiving weekend 2025. On the Saturday alone, 62.7 million people shopped in stores and 63 million shopped online.
• Shopping starts before November: NRF's 2026 holiday survey, fielded October 1-7 with 8,094 adults, found 43% of holiday shoppers plan to begin browsing and buying before November. NRF also forecasts November and December retail sales will grow 4.2% over 2025, to $1.013 trillion.

Put those together and the picture is clear. The intent to shop small is there, the crowd is there, and a big share of shoppers start forming their lists in October. If your name isn't in front of them by early November, you are asking a crowded weekend to find you on its own.

The Framework: From Goodwill to a Name They Choose

I build Small Business Saturday plans around Five Star Media Group's Blended Marketing Strategy, pairing Mass Local Reach + 1-to-1 Digital Precision.

1. Get Wanted

The weeks before Thanksgiving are when the short list forms. Five Star Media Group's 9 local broadcast radio stations and ClarksvilleNow.com put your name and your Saturday offer in front of the whole trade area during the drive, the workday and the morning news. The goal is simple: when someone decides to shop small, your business is one of the first names that comes to mind.

2. Get Found

That decision turns into a search: "gift shop near me," your business name, "open Saturday." Google PPC on your brand name and your top gift categories, plus an up-to-date Google Business Profile with holiday hours, catches those searches the moment they happen.

3. Get Chosen

Targeted display and geofencing around your downtown, shopping district or event venues reach people who are already out shopping that weekend. Retargeting brings back the people who visited your site in November but haven't come in yet, with a clear reason to come Saturday.

3 Steps to Take Before Thanksgiving

1. Pick one Saturday offer and announce it now: A specific reason to come in, such as an early-bird gift, a local maker showcase or a bundle, gives your advertising something concrete to say. Lock it in this week so it can run for the next three weeks, not just the last three days.
2. Update your Google Business Profile today: Add holiday hours, Small Business Saturday details, fresh photos and your offer. A shopper who searches your name and finds old hours or no mention of the weekend may go somewhere that looks ready.
3. Plan for December, not just one day: Collect emails or phone numbers at checkout on Saturday with a simple reason to share them, like a December offer. The shoppers who discover you that weekend are the easiest customers to bring back before Christmas.