Amazon has proved over and over again this year their potential to take down virtually any competition standing in its way. But there's one day out of the year that may prove mom-and-pop brick-and-mortar shops have an advantage over Jeff Bezos' 20-year-old online retail powerhouse.
More than half of American households with an Amazon Prime membership will bundle up and head to their local mom-and-pop shops on Small Business Saturday, according to the latest CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey, released Friday.
A national sample of 7,754 consumers participated in the study last week to track holiday spending trends. Of the total, 3,954 were women.
"Amazon is so dominant, but it doesn't seem like that's coming at the expense of small businesses when it comes to holiday shopping," says SurveyMonkey research scientist Laura Wronski. "I think the common thought is that Amazon and small businesses are at war, but that doesn't seem to be the case when it comes to Small Business Saturday."
Amazon may also be facing an increased sales burden from Main Street retail competitors lasting throughout the entire holiday shopping season, with almost half of Amazon Prime members saying they'll spend more than 50 percent of their holiday shopping dollars at small businesses, either online or in-store.
The CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey shows that nearly 60 percent of Amazon Prime members in the survey are 45 years old or older, and of those who are more likely to shop on Small Business Saturday, the majority say the most important domestic political issue facing our nation are jobs and the economy.
I think the common thought is that Amazon and small businesses are at war, but that doesn't seem to be the case when it comes to Small Business Saturday.Laura Wronskiresearch scientist, SurveyMonkey
Small-business owners generated $15.4 billion in revenue on Small Business Saturday in 2016, according to insights from a survey commissioned by American Express, a number that's been on the rise for years. About 112 million people went out to shop on Small Business Saturday last year. And more than 480 organizations joined the Small Business Coalition.
The shopping holiday, sandwiched between big retail, favoring Black Friday and Cyber Monday, was founded in 2010 by American Express to benefit America's small businesses, hurting from the economic recession of the last decade.
