Connected Commerce Council Statement on Small Business Saturday Success

WASHINGTON, DC. (December 3, 2019) – The following statement was issued today by Connected Commerce Council (3C) President Jake Ward regarding the success of digitally empowered small businesses as the holiday shopping season kicked off. 

“Digital tools, platforms, and services connected main street businesses and holiday shoppers in record numbers this year. Technology and social media, in particular, are empowering small businesses to better reach consumers, market their products, and grow their business.  

“This year’s Small Business Saturday broke records with $19.6 billion in total sales, and a record $3.6 billion in online sales, with an estimated 43 million Americans shopping in-store at American small businesses. The many free and low-cost tools available to small businesses, from email marketing, social media, and online advertising, to easy to use e-shopping tools and online payment processing, to platforms that provide access to customers worldwide, digital platforms, services, and tools, help America’s small businesses compete in ways that were unfathomable a decade ago. 

“According to a recent study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 73% of small businesses are using Facebook to find new customers, and more than half of small businesses now have at least one full-time employee dedicated to managing social media, and a report from Deloitte earlier this year found that Small businesses that use digital tools are 3 times more likely to experience customer growth and are twice as profitable.”