Fifty-four percent of Americans plan to shop local for Small Business Saturday

With Small Business Saturday on us, more than half of consumers (54%) say they intend to support their small businesses. The numbers are even higher among Millennials at 69% and 64% among Gen Zers.

LendingTree’s latest survey of more than 2,000 Americans reveals how shoppers plan to support local businesses on Nov. 29.

65% of all holiday shoppers say they actively seek out small businesses during the holidays, and 76% plan to buy at least some of their gifts from them. Inflation plays an interesting role: 56% say it makes them more likely to shop small.

“Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) could boost local shopping: 53% of consumers say they’d be more likely to shop local if small businesses offered “buy now, pay later” options. Still, 42% trust BNPL providers less than credit card companies — even though 56% of likely Small Business Saturday shoppers plan to use BNPL this year.

60% of millennials and 57% of Gen Zers believe shopping small makes a big difference — though nearly half (48%) of Americans admit they don’t go out of their way to do so, and 59% expect to pay more when they shop small

53% say lower prices would get them to shop local more often, followed by 44% who want unique or handmade items and 40% who want businesses closer to home or work.

“If you run a small clothing store, consider reaching out to small restaurants, bookstores or other small businesses for some cross-promotion,” LendingTree’s chief consumer finance analyst, Matt Schulz, notes. “It could be as simple as signage or flyers in these stores that promote the others, or it could be a special discount you could offer to customers of those stores.”

Full survey findings: LendingTree.com/business/small-business-saturday-shopping-survey

The Gayly online. 11/29/2025 @ 9:33 a.m. CST.