COLORADO SPRINGS – It is the biggest retail day of the year for independent business owners in Colorado Springs. The Downtown Partnership is encouraging holiday shoppers to visit their booth at Acacia Park to pick up a free #ShopSmall tote bag, coupon books, balloons, and stickers before visiting local stores on Small Business Saturday.
Free parking is available in all downtown parking garages every weekend until Christmas.
Small Business Saturday is a nationwide trend launched in 2013 in response to the recession as part of a marketing campaign by American Express. The credit card company initially gave its cardholders $25 credits on their bills to encourage spending at small businesses. Those credits have since been replaced by double-points promotions.
Nevertheless, the trend caught on with American consumers. Amex reports that around 83 percent of Americans surveyed plan to do at least some of their holiday shopping at independently owned businesses this year. More than half of consumers in that poll say they are aware of Small Business Saturday.
