Small Business Saturday lands on Nov. 28, 2026, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, wedged between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For independent shops, restaurants and service businesses, it’s one of the few days of the season when national attention is pointed squarely at them.
American Express started the day in 2010, and the U.S. Small Business Administration has cosponsored it since 2011. American Express says consumers have reported spending an estimated $241 billion at independent businesses on Small Business Saturdays since it began tracking, a figure based on surveys it has commissioned since 2012.
Seven weeks out is a good time to get organized. Here’s a simple plan.
Early October: decide what you want from the day
Before choosing tactics, pick a goal. Is it a sales target, new email subscribers, clearing older stock or introducing a new product? The SBA’s marketing guidance stresses comparing what you spend on marketing with the revenue it brings in. A clear goal makes that comparison possible after the weekend.
It also helps to think about who you’re trying to reach. The SBA suggests looking at your market’s size, demographics and traits, and at what gives you an advantage over competitors. For many small shops, that advantage is expertise, personal service or products customers can’t find at big chains.
Mid-October: get the free materials
American Express offers free Shop Small marketing materials for businesses, including ready-to-use social media posts and printable posters. The SBA’s Small Business Saturday page links to them as well. Its “Shop Small” program also lists businesses on American Express Maps; check the eligibility details on the Amex merchant site.
This is also the time to talk to neighbors. Downtown associations and chambers of commerce often organize joint promotions, maps or events for the day, and a shared effort can draw more foot traffic than a single store.
Late October: fix your online basics
Many shoppers will look you up before they visit. In a September survey, Bain & Company found that 60% of online holiday shoppers planned to use retailer and brand websites and 24% planned to start shopping on AI platforms. Make sure what they find is accurate:
- Holiday hours: On Google Business Profile, you can add special hours by choosing Edit profile, then Hours, then editing Special hours and picking the date. Google allows special hours for closures of up to six days in a row.
- Website: Update your homepage with your Small Business Saturday offer, hours, location and parking details.
- Product listings: If you sell online, check prices, photos and stock levels for your most popular items.
Early November: build the offer and spread the word
Keep the promotion simple enough to explain in one sentence. A few common approaches:
- A gift with purchase or a bonus for spending over a set amount
- Early-bird hours or a special event, such as a tasting, demo or workshop
- A loyalty bonus that brings people back in December
- Gift cards. In Bain’s survey, 36% of shoppers said gift cards would be one of their biggest spending categories.
Schedule social posts and emails in advance. The SBA notes that scheduling posts across platforms ahead of time can help small teams stay consistent on a budget. Use the #ShopSmall hashtag, which the SBA’s page encourages.
The week of: prepare the store
- Confirm staffing and break schedules for a busier-than-usual Saturday.
- Stock up on bags, receipt paper, gift wrap and your best sellers.
- Test your point-of-sale system and card reader, and have a backup plan if the internet goes down.
- Set up a way to capture customer emails, such as a sign-up sheet or a QR code at the register.
After the weekend: measure and follow up
Compare sales, new customers and sign-ups with your goal and with a normal Saturday. Send a thank-you email within a few days, ideally with a reason to return before Christmas. Then note what worked for next year, since the SBA recommends updating your marketing plan at least once a year.
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Sources
- Source: U.S. Small Business Administration — Small Business Saturday
- Source: American Express — Shop Small for merchants
- Source: U.S. Small Business Administration — Marketing and sales
- Source: Google Business Profile Help — Set special hours
- Source: Bain & Company — US holiday retail sales set to exceed $1 trillion for the first time