Small Business Saturday is Nov. 29
TRENTON – Senator Shirley Turner today urged residents to observe “Small Business Saturday” this weekend and to shop local throughout the holiday season. Small Business Saturday will be held on Nov. 29 and is a day that is promoted by small businesses across the country to encourage residents to purchase holiday gifts at smaller stores and businesses in their communities the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
“Major retailers have cornered a large part of the holiday shopping market with high-priced Black Friday and Cyber Monday ad campaigns. Small businesses don’t have the resources to advertise their businesses to the same extent, so especially given the vital role they play in our economy, it’s important that we promote and support them this holiday season,” said Senator Turner (D-Mercer and Hunterdon). “I encourage residents to shop in their downtowns and at local stores this Small Business Saturday and to continue to ‘Shop Main Street’ throughout the holiday shopping season.”
According to a survey released by the National Retail Federation last week, 140 million people are likely to shop this Thanksgiving weekend in stores and online, with nearly half of respondents saying they will shop this weekend and the other half planning to first check out the deals before committing. This year, holiday shoppers will spend on average $804.42, up nearly 5 percent over last year’s actual $767.27, according to a separate NRF survey. In New Jersey, there are approximately 790,000 small businesses, of which 597,000 are nonemployer firms, and more than 192,000 are firms which employ an estimated 1.73 million individuals in this state, with an annual payroll of more than $75 billion. According to the Small Business Administration, more than half of all Americans either work for, or own, a small business, and small businesses create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and our state will not thrive without their success. Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to support them and to remember the contribution they make to our state, most importantly creating local jobs for our residents,” said Senator Turner. “So whether going out to do holiday shopping or to dine, I urge residents to think about the difference they can make by patronizing the businesses where their friends and neighbors work. ‘Shop Main Street’ is about more than avoiding the mall crowds, it is about supporting jobs and our local economies and keeping the businesses vibrant that anchor our downtowns.”
Senator Turner plans to introduce two resolutions on Dec.1. One measure would urge all residents to observe and support “Small Business Saturday” by patronizing local businesses in the community this year and each year thereafter. A second resolution would encourage residents to “Shop Main Street” during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.