American Express toasted their 10th Annual Small Business Saturday on Thursday, November 21st, in NYC with a celebration of epic proportions.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 21: Karlie Kloss joins American Express and Small Business Owners in a Toast to 10 Years of Small Business Saturday on November 21, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for American Express)
Invited attendees ranged from celebrities to real life small business owners. The fanfare was elegantly hosted by charming supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss. Delectable local bites from Mimi Cheng’s Dumplings and custom cocktails and mocktails by Natasha David of Nitecap were served to guests while they enjoyed the musical ear of Issac Likes.
As the retail landscape evolves, supporting small businesses has become vital to the creation of thriving communities. American Express is dedicated to raising awareness of the obstacles impacting small business owners across the nation. Within this endeavor, American Express is helping small businesses “future proof” by collaborating with top trend forecaster WGSN to highlight upcoming potential technology and trend shifts.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 21: A general view of atmosphere is seen during American Express and Small Business Owners in a Toast to 10 Years of Small Business Saturday with Karlie Kloss November 21, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for American Express)
With their 10th Annual Small Business Saturday, American Express brings the Big Future of Shopping Small to life with an interactive retail space. This exclusive sneak peek introduced the vision of future retail advances to shoppers and small business owners. The innovative pop-up encompasses how technology and innovation are building an easier, more personalized, and sustainably conscious shopping experience.
At the Big Future of Shopping Small, guests were given a first look at AI and AR technologies through an interactive “Main Street” shopping experience. Featured reimagined physical storefront spaces included retailers like Glazed and Confused, Zero Waste Daniel, Parley, 7th Floor Clothing, Soko, and The New Stand.
The Donut Shop: Created in partnership with local business Glazed and Confused — experience the future of ordering food with a Biometric match preference.
The Clothing Shop: Purchase fashions made from upcycled materials by eco-friendly designer Zero Waste Daniel.
The Wine Shop: Learn more about wine blends through augmented technology, which allows every label to convey the story of the brand behind it to anyone with a smartphone.
The Virtual Boutique: Shop virtual versions of products with 3D-rendered products by Parley, 7th Floor Clothing, and Soko.
The New Stand: Shop for curated essentials at New Stand without ever having to step up to a register.
American Express is at the forefront of retail innovation with their new commissioned research of Small Business Saturday. Their research has turned up a plethora of new data and vital information such as…
Observing Small Business Saturday has become a national tradition, according to 77% of Americans.
While just 44% of Americans spent money at small businesses on Small Business Saturday in 2010, a majority (77%) are interested in doing so this year.
Among those who are likely to participate in Small Business Saturday this year, keeping money in their community is the top reason for doing so (65%).
Other top reasons include that small businesses are better for the character of the community (44%), wanting to support someone who owns or works at a small business (39%), and that small businesses provide better products/services (34%).
American Express’s dedication to small businesses is commendable, but they cannot do it alone. Let’s all join American Express in supporting local small businesses and revitalizing our communities all across the nation.
