American Express Launches Holiday SMB Promotions

American Express is kicking off several new promotions to help consumers support small businesses during the upcoming holiday season. The promotion will be held during the 12th Small Business Saturday, which takes place on November 27.

Small Business Saturday is a shopping holiday that is held every last Saturday in November. The holiday was first held in 2010, created by American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and Roslindale Village Main Street.

The idea behind Small Business Saturday is to counterbalance other holidays, such as Cyber Monday and Black Friday, which put the focus on eCommerce stores or huge retailers. The SBS, on the other hand, places small businesses in the spotlight.

These upcoming promotions are part of Amex’s initiative to drive $100 billion in consumer spending to small businesses from 2021 to 2025. The move to push these promotions ahead of the holiday season was based on findings from Amex’s survey: According to the American Express Shop Small Impact survey, 78% of business owners stated that this holiday season will be a make-or-break moment for them and a deciding factor in whether they’ll stay open in 2022.

Elizabeth Rutledge, chief marketing officer at Amex, stated: “We’re rallying consumers to help deliver a strong holiday season for small businesses in communities across the country. It’s so important to support our favorite small businesses not only on Small Business Saturday but throughout the holiday season and all year long.”

These are the promotions American Express will be pushing out on November 27:

• A collaboration with Google Shopping that lets small business owners create digital murals that display locally-sourced products.
• Launch of Shop Small® x ByBlack marketplace
• The “Spend $15, get $20 back” promotion incentivizing Amex cardholders to buy from the select list of Shop Small® x ByBlack businesses.
• $1.65 million Inclusive Backing grant program for underrepresented small businesses.

There’s something more for consumers here too. Amex launched the Shop Small Map, which shows independent retailers that accept American Express cards. If you have a good cashback card, especially if it’s an Amex eligible for the “spend $15, get $20 back” promotion, now is probably the best time to use it.

Business owners can check out the Shop Small Studio which, besides the aforementioned murals, holds various free tools and downloadable content to help you better manage and market your business.