Just after consumers evaluate the return policy of their 2011 Black Friday purchases from large retailers like WalMart, Target, and JCPenney, but before the 2011 Cyber Monday deals, comes the 2nd annual Small Business Saturday.
American Express partnered with FedEx to support small businesses on the 2nd Annual Small Business Saturday, November 26, 2011.
Small Business Saturday is a day to promote the local businesses that create jobs, help fuel the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country.
American Express founded Small Business Saturday as a direct response to one of the most pressing needs of a small business owner – more demand for their products and services.
Last year, a total of 1.5 million Facebook users, 130 public and private organizations, and 41 elected officials declared their support for Small Business Saturday.
This year, with FedEx’s support of the “Shop Small Gift Card” program, American Express hopes be able to send tens of thousands of additional consumers into Main Street merchants on November 26, 2011 helping to drive holiday sales for local businesses.
Small business Saturday is a corporate marketing twist of the buy local movement which seeks to reduce the energy consumed per product by reducing the travel time of the product and the consumer related to the purchase of a consumer good.
Occupy Wall Street related protests held ‘shop local’ protests on Black Friday 2011.
A planned four-mile march by Occupy Melbourne began at the Melbourne Square Mall and ended in Historic Downtown Melbourne yesterday on Black Friday, November 25, 2011.
The title of the march was “Support local businesses during the holiday season.”
Group organizers say that the purpose of the march is to encourage Melbourne residents to patronize local businesses instead of the ‘big box’ stores during the upcoming holiday season.
According to the organizers, this march will also be a means by which to measure support for establishing a long term occupation site like those in New York, Oakland, and across the United States.
A special Working Group is already conducting a review of potential occupation sites in Melbourne, Palm Bay, and West Melbourne.