ByNell Derick Debevoise,
Senior Contributor.
Small Business Saturday began as a simple idea: spotlight the entrepreneurs who keep our neighborhoods alive. 15 years later, it generates billions in spending and a one-day cultural push to “shop small.” Which is powerful: over 60 million people work for small businesses, and 62 cents of every dollar spent with small businesses stays in the local community: a powerful driver of wealth generation across historically under-recognized groups.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: a lot of this small business shopping has become performative.
One hashtag. One purchase. One day of feeling virtuous about supporting local businesses, followed by 364 days of defaulting to Amazon Prime, algorithmic convenience, and chain-store predictability.
