The Walmart on Atlantic Boulevard in Canton, Ohio is collecting food for employees who can’t afford Thanksgiving dinner.
“This store has been doing this for several years and (the food) is for associates that have faced an extreme hardship recently,” Walmart spokesman Kory Lundberg told Business Insider.
Meanwhile, Walmart turned a profit of $15.7 billion last year, and the stock market closed above 16,000 today—a new record high. It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.
In the best of times, people with buying power make conscious decisions about what to buy, and where to buy.
“Small Business Saturday has really resonated with consumers who are eager to show support for their neighborhoods,” said Susan Sobbott, president at American Express OPEN.
Together with the National Federation of Independent Business, American Express OPEN found that 77% of those aware of Small Business Saturday plan to “shop small” this year. Here’s why and where they will be shopping:
- Part of the reason consumers are attracted to small businesses is because they are able to find gifts for people who are hard to shop for (70%);
- One fifth (21%) of consumers said one of the main reasons they patronize small businesses is because they offer better prices; and
- The top five places that consumers plan to shop on Small Business Saturday are food stores (38%), restaurants (37%), clothing stores (35%), bakeries (34%) and gift/novelty stores (31%).
American Express is accepted at Walmart and many small retailers, so the credit card company wins when you shop, no matter where you shop.
