Why You NEED to Celebrate Small Christmas in 2020

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Here are two facts about 2020. One, over 97,000 small businesses have permanently closed because of the pandemic, and two, people are still planning to spend $650 on holiday gifts this year, despite the economic downturn. 

So, I’m here to make the same request I do every year: Please don’t give that $650 to Amazon. Commit to a Small Christmas and spend it at small businesses instead.

Step 1: Visit small businesses in your community

Did you know that Jeff Bezos’ net worth grew by 68 billion dollars in 2020?

But as Amazon announced record profits, they were also slashing the sales percentage they give to affiliates. For example, bloggers and influencers used to get 5% of grocery sales from shoppers they drove to Amazon, but the company reduced it to 1% on April 21st. Thanks to cutthroat practices like this, Amazon’s stock is returning 68% YTD while the S&P 500 is yielding 10%.

In addition, Amazon paid nothing in federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018 and only 1.2% of its total income in 2019.

Rather than infusing your local economy during the most significant recession since the Great Depression, the $650 you spend on Amazon could end up in Jeff Bezos’ bank account where it will join 183 billion dollars that he’ll never be able to spend in this lifetime. (Or the next, or the next, or the one after that. Even if Bezos spends $10,000 a day, it will take him 50,136 years to run out of money.) 

Step 2: Purchase gifts for everyone on your list

In the meantime, small businesses are going under at an alarming rate, and that’s bad for your community.

One study found that for every $100 spent at small businesses, $68 stays in the city. But when you spend that at chain stores, only $43 stays in town. That means less money for your schools and firefighters and local libraries; less money for mom n’ pop businesses to expand and create new jobs. 

So, commit to a Small Christmas this year, and challenge yourself to buy all of your holiday gifts at small businesses instead of Amazon or chain stores. Dan and I have done it for the past two years and I can personally vouch that wandering through local boutiques is more fun than scrolling aimlessly through product reviews.

Yet, only 23% of consumers say they plan on buying Christmas gifts at small businesses this year. In comparison, 45% say they’ll shop at department stores and 60% online. 

Part 3: Wrap ’em up and enjoy knowing that you made a difference with your Christmas shopping this year!

We can change that.

Make a list of small businesses in your community and then spend a day visiting them to pick up sweaters, accessories, books, mugs, art, and more. In Small Christmases of years past, I’ve made gift baskets with local beer and coffee, created a DIY bakery crawl through NYC, and gifted sunglasses, prints, t-shirts, and flannels from shops I had never been in (or even noticed) before.

Remember that a lot of small businesses have adapted to the pandemic and now offer online ordering, contactless pickup, and shipping as well. If you live in Las Vegas, Honolulu, or a major city in California, your spending is even more beneficial because these cities have the most business closures by percentage. (For total closures, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, and Houston also top the list).

Share this article with your friends to spread the small business love!

If you don’t want to go out because of coronavirus, I have good news: gift cards are the most requested gift item this year, and many small businesses sell them online or over the phone. If you go this route, consider giving gift cards to local restaurants where your support is also sorely needed.

According to Yelp, food establishments have been hit by the pandemic even harder than retail. So, skip the takeout from Buffalo Wild Wings or the Cheesecake Factory and make it a point to eat local over the holidays and give gift cards to friends and family for outdoor dining, take out, and delivery as well. 

Abraham Lincoln said, “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time,” and in our capitalist world, it also comes one dollar at a time. Spend mindfully on your holiday gifts this year, and you can help keep small businesses open for many Christmases to come.  

Read more on Slight North:

Everything you need to know about the Small Christmas Challenge 

10 enchanting treehouses on Airbnb for your next getaway

10 can’t miss events for your North America bucket list

5 jobs for people who kinda want to leave planet earth

49 ways to travel from home this weekend

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