Erlanger has been named a Neighborhood Champion for Small Business Saturday.
American Express founded the program in 2010, which aims to help small businesses during their busiest shopping season. During Tuesday’s council meeting, Director of Economic Development and Assistant City Administrator Mark Collier said the title is awarded to those who showcase dedication to supporting local businesses.
One of the benefits of being named a Neighborhood Champion is the swag that the city can distribute to local businesses for giveaways to attract customers. Currently, about 70% of the swag the city has to distribute has been handed out. An example piece of merchandise shown by Collier was tote bags with the program’s sponsors.
“Studies show that 68% of every dollar spent at local businesses stays in the community and that is compared to about 43% for nationwide sort of chain businesses,” said Collier.
In 2023, Small Business Saturday’s reported projected spending from those who shopped at small businesses was $17 billion. In that same report, they also said that since its founding in 2010 in the United States, small businesses have made an estimated $201 billion from Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is always the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 30 this year. Signage for small businesses interested in participating can be found here; for updates regarding Erlanger’s merchandise and participating small businesses, follow their social pages.