WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, are urging Americans to visit their local small businesses on November 26, 2011, for the 2nd Annual Small Business Saturday.
“By shopping locally, we are able to find the unique gifts to show friends and family we care about them during this holiday season,” Sen. Landrieu said. “Thanks to Small Business Saturday last year, small businesses saw an increase of up to 25 percent in sales on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I can only imagine the success we will have this year if we spread the word.”
“November marks National Entrepreneurship Month, and there is no better way to support our nation’s small businesses than by visiting them on November 26th – Small Business Saturday – in an effort to help boost their sales,” Sen. Snowe said. “I often tour Main Streets in cities and towns across Maine to speak directly with local business owners, and they have told me repeatedly that they rely on increased sales to grow their businesses and create new jobs. Indeed, according to the latest NFIB Economic Trends Survey, small business owners listed “poor sales” as the top problem they face. As such, during the busiest shopping season of the year, we should remember that our local restaurants, bookshops, and hardware stores are the economic engines in our communities.”
Small Business Saturday, which falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is a national movement to drive consumers to shop at local, independently owned businesses during the heaviest shopping weekend of the year. According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated 212 million shoppers spent $45 billion on consumer purchases during Thanksgiving weekend last year. By designating November 26, 2011, as Small Business Saturday, the goal of the resolution is to encourage a larger percentage of these shoppers to make their purchases from local businesses, increasing the share of the profits small businesses will enjoy.
Recently, the Senate passed a resolution introduced by Senators Landrieu and Snowe, designating November 26, 2011, as Small Business Saturday. The measure had 31 additional cosponsors.
