.png?width=147&height=34&name=POS-Nation-Logo-Main%20(1).png){kind=logo}
How Does Contactless Payment Work? [+ Why Your Store Needs It]
Picture your store at noon on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. A line stretches back from the register, and shoppers have cleared out half your gift display. Maybe a regular wants one more bottle of that bourbon, your last holiday cigar sampler just went out the door, or you're restocking pie crusts for the second time.
That's Small Business Saturday when it goes right — and for many independent stores, it's the biggest day of the holiday season. Last year, small business owners told American Express they expected it to bring in nearly 20% of their annual revenue.
But that kind of day is getting harder to pull off. Shoppers spent an estimated $18 billion at small businesses on Small Business Saturday 2025, down nearly 20% from the year before. And 42.7% of consumers are more price-sensitive than a year ago. Shoppers still show up, but they're pickier about where they spend.
The stores that plan early win those dollars. Use these 10 Small Business Saturday tips to get ready before, during, and after the big day.
Small Business Saturday Trends by Industry
Every type of store heads into the holiday season with its own strengths, so build your Small Business Saturday plan around what's already working in your industry. Here's what the data says and how to act on it.
Use these trends as your starting point and turn them into a plan with the steps below.
Before the Big Day: How To Prepare
The next few weeks decide how Saturday goes. Start with these five steps.
1. Run a Sales Forecast
Start with last year's numbers. Pull your point of sale (POS) sales reports for Small Business Saturday and the full Thanksgiving weekend, and break them down by hour, category, and top-selling item. Then, adjust for this year. Holiday retail sales are forecast to grow 4.1% in 2026, but your own trend matters more.
Set a realistic goal and a stretch goal, and work backward to plan your inventory and staffing. The table below shows a simple way to lay it out — swap in your own POS data to get real numbers.
If shoppers cleared out your sparkling wine and whiskey gift sets by 2 p.m. last year, order more of both this year and schedule an extra cashier from noon to 4 p.m.
2. Stock Up on What Will Sell
Distributors and vendors get backed up in November, so place holiday orders early. Your POS inventory reports show which bestsellers are running low and how fast they're moving.
Next, pull a list of items that haven't sold in 60 to 90 days. Instead of marking that dead stock down deeply, bundle it with a popular item or move it to a gift display.
Then, stock up for your industry's trends:
- Liquor stores: Add more ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails and nonalcoholic (NA) options for hosts and guests.
- Grocery stores: Stock up on holiday baking staples, local products, and party platter ingredients.
- Tobacco shops: Build ready-to-gift samplers and stock accessories like cutters, lighters, and travel humidors.
- Convenience stores: Add gift cards, seasonal candy, batteries, and travel-size essentials for holiday travelers.
- Cell phone stores: Stock refurbished phones, cases, screen protectors, and chargers.
A full shelf of your bestsellers on Saturday morning is worth more than any discount you could offer once they're gone.
Related Reads: Follow These Retail Inventory Management Best Practices To Boost Cash Flow
3. Get Your Website and Local Search in Shape
(Image source: Google Business Profile)
Shoppers look you up online first, and 30.2% are comparing prices across retailers this year.
Start with your Google Business Profile. Add your holiday hours, post your Small Business Saturday deals and events, and upload fresh photos. Then update your hours on Facebook, Yelp, and Apple Maps. If you accept American Express, claim your free listing on the Shop Small® Map, too.
Next, pull up your website on your phone. Shoppers are expected to make 58% of online holiday purchases on mobile this year, so make your hours, address, and deals easy to find on a small screen.
If you sell online, connect your e-commerce store to your POS so inventory updates in real time. That way, a customer who orders a gift set for buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS) won't find an empty shelf. Some POS systems can also show your in-stock products in nearby Google searches.
Last, add a Small Business Saturday banner to your homepage with your hours, deals, and events. Clear details help AI search tools find you, too, and 37.1% of shoppers plan to use AI more for holiday shopping this year.
4. Plan Promotions That Protect Your Margins
Shoppers want value this year, but a storewide 30% off sale can wipe out your profit on your busiest day. Skip your Black Friday repeats, and choose promotions that grow the basket:
- Bundles: Try a build-your-own gift bag at a liquor store, a five-cigar sampler with a cutter at a tobacco shop, or a holiday baking kit at a grocery store.
- Spend thresholds: Give customers a $10 coupon good in January when they spend $75.
- Early-bird and hourly deals: Offer a free gift during the first hour, or post a new deal every few hours so shoppers keep checking back.
- Gifts with purchase: Pick a low-cost item your customers will actually use.
Bundles work best where baskets are shrinking, like at liquor stores. Set up mix-and-match pricing in your POS ahead of time so the right price rings up automatically.
Related Reads: 12 Proven Holiday + Black Friday Promotion Ideas To Try at Your Store
5. Start Marketing 2 to 3 Weeks Out
Start with the people who already love your store. Pull your loyalty members from your POS customer list, email or text them first, and give them early access or a members-only deal. In the two weeks before, tuck a flyer with your Saturday plans into every bag.
Then, spread the word:
- Tell your story. Share why you opened your store and why this neighborhood matters to you in a short video, an email, or a counter sign. Pitch it to local news. Reporters love a good story, like a corner store you took over from your grandparents or a shop that started as a side hustle.
- Count down on social media. Post your deals, events, and behind-the-scenes prep, and spotlight your team. Add #ShopSmall and #SmallBusinessSaturday to every post.
- Run a simple giveaway. Ask followers to like, follow, and tag a friend to win a gift basket or store gift card. If you sell alcohol or tobacco, check state and platform rules first.
- Use free Shop Small® materials. Download posters and social graphics from the American Express Shop Small® Resource Hub.
(Image source: American Express)
The earlier shoppers hear about your plans, the more likely they are to make your store one of their Small Business Saturday stops.
Related Reads: How To Use Email Marketing for Your Small Business This Holiday Season
On Small Business Saturday: Make the Day Count
Once the doors open, your goal is simple: Make it easy for shoppers to find what they want, buy it, and come back.
6. Set Up Signage and Layout for Traffic
A week before, put up sidewalk and window signs, plus Shop Small® posters.
Inside, move gift-ready products to the front of the store and onto your endcaps. Keep aisles clear, and give shoppers one obvious path from the door to your gift displays and on to checkout.
Put low-cost impulse items like stocking stuffers, lighters, phone chargers, and candy by the register. Add clear price and bundle signs so staff doesn't have to answer the same question all day.
If you run a convenience store, set a gift card rack and a $5 stocking stuffer bin right by the counter so shoppers can grab one while they wait in line.
(Image source: American Express)
7. Prep Checkout and Your Team
A week out, test every register, scanner, receipt printer, and pinpad. Stock extra receipt paper. If your POS supports mobile checkout, charge those devices so staff can ring up customers on the floor when lines get long.
Use your forecast to staff the peak hours. Then, hold a quick huddle before opening to discuss promotions, gift cards, returns, and loyalty sign-ups.
If you sell alcohol or tobacco, remind cashiers that every customer still gets carded, no matter how long the line gets. An ID scanner connected to your POS checks age in seconds, so staff can stay compliant without slowing checkout.
8. Give Shoppers a Reason To Stay
Small stores win on experience. Give shoppers something they can't get at a big-box store:
- Host an event. Try a wine or spirits tasting (check your state's rules first), a cigar lounge night for members, grocery sampling stations, or free phone checkups at a repair shop.
- Add personal touches. Offer free gift wrapping, tuck handwritten thank-you notes into bags, and make recommendations for regulars.
- Team up with your neighbors. Find out if your chamber of commerce is planning a kickoff event, or set aside a shelf for products from local makers.
- Give back. Donate part of the day's sales to a local cause, and carry it through to Giving Tuesday on December 1.
A great in-store experience turns a one-time Small Business Saturday visit into a reason to come back.
After the Weekend: Keep the Momentum Going
The customers you meet on Small Business Saturday can shop with you all year.
9. Turn First-Time Shoppers Into Regulars
Sign new shoppers up for your loyalty program at checkout, then send a thank-you text or email within 48 hours.
Next, give them a reason to come back when traffic slows. A bounce-back coupon good in January works well, and so do seasonal offers:
- Liquor stores: Promote nonalcoholic options for Dry January.
- Grocery stores: Offer New Year's healthy-eating bundles.
- Tobacco shops: Launch a cigar club membership with monthly perks.
- Convenience stores: Run a coffee punch-card deal for winter commuters.
- Cell phone stores: Offer a repair discount for new phones that took a tumble over the holidays.
The sale you make on Small Business Saturday matters, but the second visit is what turns a holiday shopper into a regular.
10. Review Your Results and Plan for the New Year
Within a week, pull your Small Business Saturday sales report and compare it to your forecast. Look at sales by hour, category, and promotion to see what worked.
Check what sold out and what sat on the shelf, and adjust your December orders. Then, schedule a year-end inventory count so you can clear dead stock and start January with accurate numbers.
Make Small Business Saturday 2026 Your Best Yet
Plan early, make the day easy for shoppers, and follow up with everyone who walks through your door. Your POS already holds the sales history, customer list, and reports you need, so let it do the busywork while you spend Saturday with your customers.
Want to see what the right POS can do for your store this holiday season? Schedule a demo today.
Spence started out selling point of sale technology to cigar stores. He was so passionate about providing an industry-specific solution to tobacco shop owners that he started his own business: Cigars POS. Spence believes small business owners are essential to thriving communities. He writes passionately about marketing, inventory management, and POS software — three topics he believes every tobacco store owner should learn about. "I've seen firsthand how much courage it takes to build a thriving business. That's why I'm passionate about helping store owners make smarter inventory decisions that keep products moving and cash flow healthy. Small businesses are the backbone of thriving communities, and I'm committed to giving them the tools they need to succeed."