Small Business Saturday UK celebrates all of the small businesses across the UK and encourages us to ‘shop local’, support businesses and our communities. We are supporting this grassroots campaign that takes place the day before our big Christmas Festival. We are hoping you’ll make a weekend of it in Dorking, enjoying all that we have to offer in our charming market town.
Small Business Saturday takes place on 2nd December this year and we’re inviting everyone to get involved.
Traditionally the holiday season accounts for about 20% of retail annual sales so most retailers have been planning since July or August for Christmas.
According to Tech Radar, retailers reported $10.8 billion in overall revenue on Cyber Monday compared to Black Friday’s $9.0 billion. And last year, Amazon reported $23 billion in sales for the weekend of Black Friday to Cyber Monday.
For every £1 spent on a local, independent retailer, 63p stays in the local economy. When we spend locally, we invest in ourselves instead of a tech giant.
So what does this mean for our small business communities across the UK – and for our own high street? Let’s give our shoppers something special to visit and come to this Christmas.
What is Small Business Saturday?
First observed in the U.S. on November 27, 2010, Small Business Saturday is their response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday’s big box and e-commerce’s big buying power. Now in its tenth year in the UK, the campaign has grown significantly each year. On Small Business Saturday 2020, 15.4 million people shopped small, spending £1.1 billion that day. American Express continues to be the Principal Supporter of the UK campaign through this success.
Give people something to rave about!
- Instead of competing with Black Friday, leverage the power of Small Business Saturday. Join the movement.
- Can you really afford to offer deep discounts on your goods and services? Black Friday/Cyber Monday is based upon slashing prices. The shopper who will be looking for bargains may always undervalue your products and services. So depending on your goals for the day or weekend, consider what you want out of this exchange. Will you gain long-term customers? What is the ROI for your business? Offer unique experiences and value for your products and services instead. Focus instead on building relationships with your customers and doing something totally different on Black Friday.
- If you have your heart set on that Black Friday or Cyber Monday hashtag (remember you are competing with the biggest brands on the planet) get your campaign together early, optimise your posts, get your landing pages sorted, get your mailing lists ready, leverage your LoyalFree offering, and get going.
- Skip Black Friday! Tap into another side of your business. Volunteer at a local food bank, hold a community event, or hold a park run. Do something else that aligns to your brand and adds value to the experience of your customers and your community. Offer an event in store that aligns to your value proposition. Building relationships is what matters it will add more value to your business than any sale Black Friday could ever bring…And then launch your Small Business Saturday offering!
- Join in on our Dorking Small Business Saturday Campaign. Have your photo taken, create an offer, leverage LoyalFree, join our Christmas Festival, tag Small Business Britain, Small Business UK and Hello Dorking and we will promote you on all of our channels. Join in our Very Dorkensian Christmas Festival and have an amazing Christmas!
