Small Business Saturday promotes spending in multiple small businesses nationwide
SBS UK
Calling small businesses in the UK. Are you ready for Small Business Saturday, the annual initiative to encourage Britons to spend more with small firms, which this year takes place on 6 December? The 2025 year event could prove to be even more valuable than usual, its organisers argue, citing research that Britons plan to do more festive spending with smaller businesses this year; those able to win new customers early in December may be able to claim a larger slice of this pie.
Small Business Saturday has taken place in the UK in every year since 2013 – three years after American Express launched the concept in the US (this year’s Small Business Saturday in the US takes place on 29 November, one week earlier). Over that period, the initiative is credited with having prompted British consumers to spend billions more with small businesses than they would otherwise have done – and to keep spending with these enterprises.
Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday UK, the organisation which organises the British event, believes it has never been so important.
“Despite ongoing challenges, small businesses have experienced a period of relative stability this year, and public support can make all the difference in helping them finally turn a corner as the year ends,” she says.
“It is vital the nation gets behind our favourite small businesses so we can unleash their power in supercharging the economy next year and delivering immeasurable wider value across society and our local communities.”
Critically, Small Business Saturday UK is publishing new research suggesting British consumers intend to spend 16% more on Christmas this year – and that small businesses are in line to net around 22% of this festive spending. That would represent a £5.3 billion windfall for the country’s small firms. “This bigger seasonal spending pot offers an incredible opportunity,” adds Ovens.
More than a quarter of Britons expect to spend more on Christmas this year than in 2024, the research shows, with their priorities including food, gifts, alcohol, clothing and nights out. A fifth of households also said they had plans to spend money on travel and holidays.
Anecdotal evidence suggests some firms are already seeing evidence of these uplifts. At Shropshire-based gifting business Elite Hampers, for example, founder Jeevan Puni says: “Over the past few years our sales during the festive season have increased year-on-year, [but] this year, we are already delivering for Christmas.”
Martha and Hepsie, an independent homeware design brand run by two sisters, based in Sheffield and Devon, is also optimistic. “Christmas is a key season for our business and it’s really hard to judge how it’s going to be this year,” says co-founder Hepsie Goddin. “With the squeeze on household budgets, we hope people will be looking to invest in smaller quality products designed with purpose.”
Independent retailers are often the biggest beneficiaries of Small Business Saturday. Their presence on the high street or online makes it easier for consumers to identify and support them. However, the initiative aims more broadly, encouraging spending with any type of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) – from service providers to suppliers to businesses. The campaign’s organisers have developed a range of free marketing materials, available through its website, to help businesses leverage the value of the day.
Dan Edelman, general manager for UK merchant services at American Express, which continues to sponsor the UK event, describes Small Business Saturday as a “vital campaign encouraging the nation to shop small, whatever their budget”. Many Britons are determined to offer their support, he says. “It’s positive to see the attraction of spending with small businesses remains strong among the public, especially with the festive season fast approaching.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidprosser/2025/11/20/small-business-saturday-set-to-unlock-a-festive-windfall-for-uk-smes/
