Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The public rallied together to support their local shops, restaurants, and cafés as Small Business Saturday celebrated its 10th year in the UK. According to research commission by American Express, £774m was spent in small businesses nationwide.
The total spend was up nearly 30% (29.4%) on last year as 12.8million shoppers took to their high street to spend with local small businesses. Independent cafés, butchers, bakers and grocery stores were among the businesses witnessing this increase as political figures such as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer expressed their support for Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday, which celebrates small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop small’ and support businesses in their communities, is the UK’s most successful small business campaign.
The American Express research showed that despite the current economic environment, shoppers are demonstrating a real sense of community spirit and the importance of small businesses. 70% of people said that over the past decade they’ve become more aware of the positive impact small firms have on their local communities, and 65% said they will continue to shop at small businesses throughout next year because of the impact it has on their local community.
Michelle Ovens CBE, director of Small Business Saturday, said: “This Small Business Saturday showed a huge vote of support from the nation for small businesses, just at a time when they really need it the most. It’s clear that the UK remains a great place to start and build a business and that the general public’s affection for small businesses not only continues but grows year on year. As we celebrate a decade of Small Business Saturday, once more we see small businesses shining a beacon of hope for our high streets and our economy.”
