Why not more than Saturdays?

What started as a marketing gimmick roughly 15 years ago may be, in a way, becoming part of a rallying cry against the thing it was intended to promote.

When it was created and marketed by credit card company American Express in 2010, “Small Business Saturday” was never meant to discourage consumers from shopping at malls and big box stores and online retailers.

Instead it was intended to encourage people to throw a few dollars and cents to the mom and pop brick and mortar shops that were struggling to stay alive or thrive at a time when the merchant landscape was drastically changing thanks to the increasing popularity of online shopping.

American Express didn’t mean for consumers to give love to small, independent stores exclusively on the Saturday after Black Friday —when consumers had already spent money at the monoliths that put a lot of small stores out of business by offering deep discounts on TVs, appliances and other goods that mom and dad couldn’t—it just sort of happened. And AmEx executives were probably just as happy to see shoppers use their card on Cyber Monday. Or any other day of the week. What credit card company exec. or chamber of commerce type wouldn’t love a slogan that got people out to the stores to spend more money any time?

But I wonder if “Small Business Saturday”, coupled with the “Shop Local” movement won’t prompt consumers to accelerate their shift away from big box and online retailers and back to the neighborhoods and communities where shoppers know the owners by face, if not by name.

Why not spend most if not all of their money locally rather than at a mega store or on Amazon? Price, for one thing.

The big guys can afford to offer items consumers want at cheaper prices because of bulk discounts and scale. And if you cut out the costs of a physical store, as online retailers have, then the incentive to abandon Main Street stores is greater.

But maybe consumers will come around to the idea that shopping local and supporting the people you see at the park, at school functions, grocery stores and restaurants and building a stronger community bond is worth the few extra dollars they spend on fleeting convenience and discounts.