skip to Main Content
MSJ NEWS see latest news

Expanded Year-Round “Shop Small” Campaign Gets $100 Million Boost

  • American Express makes a $100 million commitment to its year-round Shop Small initiative
  • Shop Small was launched as a year-long expansion of Small Business Saturday during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Initiative includes special offers, digital marketing assistance, and support for Black-owned businesses

Summary by Dirk Langeveld

After expanding its Small Business Saturday tradition to a year-round initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, American Express is dedicating $100 million to ongoing efforts to encourage consumers to shop at small businesses.

The “Let’s Go Shop Small” campaign will support the ongoing Shop Small effort by providing special offers exclusive to small businesses. American Express is also launching a collaboration with Pinterest to assist businesses with digital marketing and continuing its support for the Coalition to Back Black Businesses.

  • Small Business Saturday, established by American Express in 2010 to encourage support of small businesses during the Great Recession, grew to a year-round campaign in 2020 as many small enterprises struggled during the pandemic
  • Shop Small includes special offers for American Express members, intended to offer an incentive for customers to visit participating businesses more often
  • The $100 million commitment comes during a time when nearly half of small business owners worry that their profits will shrink as regular customers travel; research suggests that shopping at small businesses on weekends can add $27 billion to the national economy in the summer months alone
  • The initiative is also debuting a Shop Small Summer Pinterest Shop to feature unique seasonal items from small businesses that accept American Express
  • American Express is continuing its support for the Coalition to Back Black Businesses, which was formed in 2020 to provide grants, mentorship, and training programs to Black-owned businesses through 2024

Spread the Word

More To Explore

Expert Summaries

Know Your Competitors

By Denis Jakuc 

There are tons of benefits to knowing who your competitors are—what they’re offering, their strengths and weaknesses. That knowledge can help you make your products and services stand out,

Latest News

Join with Free InnovatorsLINK Account

Start accessing all the free member benefits and valuable content on the InnovatorsLINK platform. Create a BizLINK listing to boost brand exposure, receive the weekly Main Street Journal newsletter, engage in forums, get full access to free content, and more.