Small Business Saturday 2026: Date, Amex Shop Small and Tips

Small Business Saturday is an annual U.S. shopping day that encourages people to spend money at independent, locally owned stores and restaurants. It sits in the middle of the long Thanksgiving weekend, so it competes directly with big-box Black Friday doorbusters and Cyber Monday online sales. In this guide, we cover the Small Business Saturday 2026 date, how the day started, what the official numbers actually measure, and how to find and support local shops near you.

First, a quick definition of the two organizations behind it. American Express, the card network and issuer, created the day and runs the year-round Shop Small campaign. Meanwhile, the SBA, the federal agency that supports small businesses, promotes the day as an official cosponsor.

When Is Small Business Saturday 2026?

Small Business Saturday 2026 is on Saturday, November 28, 2026. Both the SBA’s Small Business Saturday page and the American Express merchant page list that date, because the day always lands on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

In other words, it falls two days after Thanksgiving and one day after Black Friday. So the whole holiday shopping stretch in 2026 looks like this:

Day	Date (2026)	What it is about
Thanksgiving	Thursday, Nov. 26	Holiday; many big chains close stores
Black Friday	Friday, Nov. 27	Big-retailer doorbusters, in store and online
Small Business Saturday	Saturday, Nov. 28	Independent and local businesses
Cyber Monday	Monday, Nov. 30	Online deals
Giving Tuesday	Tuesday, Dec. 1	Charitable giving
Small Business Saturday UK	Saturday, Dec. 5	Separate UK campaign

Note that the UK runs its own, separate campaign. According to the official Small Business Saturday UK site, the 2026 UK date is Saturday, December 5, 2026. Therefore, readers in Britain should not use the U.S. date.

What Is Small Business Saturday and How Did It Start?

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and their communities, and it forms part of the larger Shop Small movement. American Express says it created the day in 2010 to drive consumer spending at small businesses during the start of the holiday season.

After that first year, the idea grew quickly. The SBA says it has officially cosponsored Small Business Saturday since 2011, and its 2026 page carries a new cosponsorship authorization number (#26-33-C). In addition, the SBA notes that its participation is not an endorsement of any cosponsor’s products or services.

Key milestones

Year	Milestone
2010	American Express creates Small Business Saturday
2011	The SBA becomes an official cosponsor
2021	Amex reports an estimated $23.3 billion in consumer-reported spending, a record at the time
2024	Amex reports an estimated $22 billion in consumer-reported spending
2025	16th annual event; an estimated $18 billion in consumer-reported spending, plus over $10 million in Shop Small Grants
2026	17th event on Saturday, Nov. 28

So, is Small Business Saturday still a thing? Yes. American Express and the SBA both list the 2026 date, and Amex already offers 2026 signage and marketing kits to merchants.

How Much Do Shoppers Spend on Small Business Saturday?

Shoppers reported spending an estimated $18 billion at small businesses on Small Business Saturday 2025, according to the American Express 2025 Consumer Insights survey. That figure came in below the estimated $22 billion Amex reported for 2024.

Since tracking began, shoppers surveyed have reported spending an estimated $241 billion at U.S. small businesses on the day. However, keep in mind how Amex builds these numbers. The company’s own footnotes say the totals come from online surveys of a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (2,945 adults in 2025), projected to the adult population. As a result, they reflect what people say they spent, not actual receipts, sales or card data.

Other numbers from the 2025 Amex studies

• 68 cents: the share of each dollar spent at a U.S. small business that stays in the local community, per the 2025 Small Business Economic Impact Study by Econsult Solutions for Amex
• 86%: consumers surveyed who said they were likely to Shop Small during the 2025 holiday season, in person or online (89% of Millennials and Gen Z)
• 95%: small business owners surveyed who said community support keeps them thriving, up from 86% the year before
• $100 billion: the goal Amex says it reached for consumer-reported small business spending through Small Business Saturday and Shop Small campaigns globally from 2021 through 2025

For context, the SBA’s 2026 page also cites more than 36.2 million independent businesses in the United States. Still, that count includes businesses of every kind, not just shops that take part in the day.

What Are the American Express Shop Small Offers for 2026?

Amex has not announced a 2026 Small Business Saturday offer or giving pledge for cardholders yet. In short, Card Member perks for Small Business Saturday 2026 are not announced as of October 24, 2026.

Last year’s program gives a good idea of what to expect. In 2025, Amex launched the Amex Shop Small Grants Program with Main Street America, a nonprofit that supports downtown and neighborhood business districts. The program started with $5 million. Then, through a giving pledge tied to eligible card purchases at small businesses on Small Business Saturday, Amex added another $5.1 million.

When will American Express announce 2026 plans? In 2025, Amex announced its Shop Small Grants Program and Small Business Saturday giving pledge on November 11. So, a similar announcement in early to mid-November 2026 would fit the pattern, though Amex has not confirmed any date.

How Do You Find Small Businesses Near You?

The quickest way to find participating shops is the free American Express Shop Small Map, which lists qualifying local businesses that accept Amex. In addition, Amex runs an online directory for small businesses that sell on the web.

However, the map has limits. It only shows Amex-accepting merchants, and Amex warns that listings may contain errors. Therefore, combine it with a few other sources:

• Your downtown or Main Street association: many plan Small Business Saturday events, passports or shop crawls
• Local chambers of commerce: Amex calls these groups Neighborhood Champions when they promote the day locally
• City and county websites: some towns publish Small Business Saturday 2026 event listings
• Shop windows: look for Shop Small signs and decals, which Amex gives participating businesses for free
• Social media: search the #ShopSmall hashtag plus your town name

What Do the SBA and Amex Offer Small Business Owners?

Owners can get free signs, marketing kits and a listing on the Shop Small Map from American Express, while the SBA points businesses to those same tools. According to the Amex Small Business Saturday merchant hub, the 2026 Small Business Saturday Marketing Kit with new Shop Small signage is already available to order.

Free tools for Small Business Saturday 2026

Resource	Who provides it	Cost	Notes
Shop Small signs and Marketing Kit	American Express	Free	New signage for 2026; order from the merchant hub
Shop Small Map listing	American Express	Free	Amex-accepting businesses that meet 2026 eligibility
Social posts and printable posters	American Express	Free to download	You pay only for any printing; no Amex acceptance needed
Partner social media guide and graphics	SBA	Free	Listed as “coming soon” on the SBA page
Neighborhood Champion event kits	American Express	Free for approved groups	For chambers and business associations

To appear on the Shop Small Map in 2026, a business must sit in the 50 states or a U.S. territory and stay under Amex’s size limits. Specifically, Amex sets the cap at up to $7 million in annual Amex charge volume and up to 25 locations. Franchise brands qualify only with up to 100 total stores or up to 25 corporate-owned stores. Online merchants can appear in the online directory.

Amex also says that in 2025 it recommended more than 6 million businesses to 19.5 million Card Members through its own marketing, and it credits that with $14 million in new spend. Meanwhile, owners who want broader help with planning or funding can use the SBA’s local assistance network year-round.

Small Business Saturday vs Black Friday vs Cyber Monday

The main difference is who benefits: Black Friday centers on national chains, Small Business Saturday on independent local shops, and Cyber Monday on online retailers. Each also has a different style of deal.

	Black Friday	Small Business Saturday	Cyber Monday
2026 date	Fri., Nov. 27	Sat., Nov. 28	Mon., Nov. 30
Who it serves	Big retailers	Independent shops and restaurants	Online retailers
Typical offers	Doorbusters and deep discounts	Local promos, gift-with-purchase, events	Sitewide online codes
Where you shop	Stores and websites	Main Street, local shops, small online stores	Online
Who runs it	Retailers individually	American Express, cosponsored by the SBA	Retailers individually

In practice, many shoppers do both. For example, you might grab a TV deal on Friday, then buy handmade gifts, books or a restaurant gift card on Saturday. Small shops rarely match big-box price cuts, so they tend to compete on service, unique products and local events instead.

How Can You Support Small Businesses on Small Business Saturday 2026?

The simplest way is to plan a few purchases at local shops on November 28 and spread the word afterward. Beyond that, these tips help your money go further for the owners:

1. Make a short list first. Check the Shop Small Map and local event pages a week early, so you know which shops open and what they plan.
2. Buy gift cards. They make easy presents and bring the business cash during a slow January.
3. Shop small online, too. Many local stores sell through their own websites, so you can still order if you cannot visit.
4. Eat local. Independent restaurants, cafes and bakeries count as small businesses, and Amex includes restaurants in its spending totals.
5. Leave a review and tag the shop. A quick post with #ShopSmall costs nothing and helps others find them.
6. Ask about card preferences. Some small shops prefer certain payment methods, and not every shop accepts every card.
7. Keep going after the weekend. Amex frames Shop Small as a year-round movement, so repeat visits matter more than one big day.

If you want to see how holiday budgets compare across the country, our holiday spending by state guide breaks it down. Also, after the shopping weekend, Giving Tuesday on December 1 shifts the focus to charities.

What Has Not Been Announced for 2026 Yet?

The date is set, but several Amex details for Small Business Saturday 2026 are still pending. We will update this page as they arrive.

Item	2026 status	2025 guide
Date	Confirmed: Sat., Nov. 28, 2026	Sat., Nov. 29, 2025
Free merchant signage and Marketing Kit	Available now	Offered
Amex Card Member offer or giving pledge	Not announced as of October 24, 2026	Giving pledge on eligible purchases funded $5.1 million in extra grants
Shop Small Grants round	Not announced as of October 24, 2026	More than 500 grants of $20,000 (announced Nov. 11, 2025)
SBA partner social guide	Listed as “coming soon”	Offered
Shop Small Impact Study (pre-event survey)	Not announced as of October 24, 2026	86% of consumers likely to Shop Small
Post-event spending estimate	After Nov. 28, 2026	Estimated $18 billion

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