Sandwiched in between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Small Business Saturday, an initiative sponsored by American Express, is a great opportunity to celebrate shopping local. If you are participating, make sure you have all the hashtags down pat (#smallbusinesssaturday, #smallbizsat, #shoplocal, #shopsmall) and check out our ideas for engaging with customers throughout the weekend.
Retailer Perspective: Blaine’s Art Supply
Dave of Blaine’s Art Supply in Anchorage, Alaska takes Small Business Saturday (and every Saturday for that matter) seriously! Black Friday hasn’t been a successful day for their store in the past, so they take the opportunity to give staff a much needed, extended break for Thanksgiving. They promote Small Business Saturday beforehand by generating interest for when the shop reopens. They see it as an opportunity for customers and staff to show appreciation for one another.
3 Ways To Spotlight Customer Appreciation & Store Swag
While Small Business Saturday is officially sponsored by American Express, you can still do your own thing on that weekend. Take this opportunity to appreciate your customers.
- I <3 My Local Art Store stickers. At check-out, offer customers some super cool stickers with purchases over a certain amount. Free swag is fun and makes it easy to spread the word about your business. We’ve designed stickers celebrating local art stores. Give them out to your customers this fall in appreciation of their business! They can stick them to water bottles, laptops, or car bumpers. These stickers will be available in packs of 100 when we send out our social media kit around the third week of November (Item # TCSHOPLOCAL).
- A loyalty program. Start one if you don’t already have one going!
- Store swag. Offer a discount on any merchandise that features your store logo: t-shirts, water bottles, paint cups, sketchbooks, bumper stickers, any items that help spread the word.
How do you approach Small Business Saturday? Share your story with us! Email us at artdogblog (@) macphersonart.com or DM us on Instagram.
