Small Business Saturday highlights the heart and soul of our communities: small businesses.
American Express launched this campaign for the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2010 to help support local, independent businesses. The program encourages consumers to “Shop Small,” both in-person and online. This day encourages consumers to skip big-box stores in favor of local shops, restaurants, and service providers. The purpose: to help you enjoy such a positive experience that you will continue to “Shop Small” throughout the year because of the personalized customer service and the unique products and treasures you will find.
The concept appears to be working. According to Grazia Magazine, the American Express’ 2025 Shop Small Impact Study reveals that 86% of consumers plan to Shop Small this holiday season.
How important is Small Business Saturday? Some businesses report that up to 20% of their annual sales are generated during the Thanksgiving weekend. For many of these, Thanksgiving-to-Christmas shopping accounts for up to half of a small business retailer’s yearly sales. Small Business Saturday is far more significant than a one-day sales push. It’s a lifeline that introduces customers to new shopping experiences that may create long-term relationships.
Following the 2008 recession, American Express committed to helping small businesses survive and then thrive. And that focus continues today.
Small business owners are frequently the backbone of towns and cities. These business owners and members of their teams serve on our school boards, city councils, boards and commissions, school booster clubs, and our chambers of commerce.
Small businesses sponsor our school activities, ranging from the performing arts to carnivals and fundraisers of every sort. I’m one of those, as the owner of Whats Poppin’ Texas in Bedford, and the second location I recently opened in Waxahachie. It’s my honor to have been selected to serve as chairman of the Hurst Euless Bedford (yes, HEB, but not the grocery store!) Chamber of Commerce starting in January.
My shop features gourmet popcorn (72 flavors!), in-house-made chocolates (more than 40 confectionery items), a custom fudge bar, vintage candies, and gourmet soft drinks, including those from Dublin Bottling Works.
In our case, we differentiate ourselves by being members of the GO TEXAN program through the Texas Department of Agriculture. We carry a “Made in Texas” section that features many candy items from manufacturers who, like us, are small. Companies such as Katy Sweet Creamy Pralines, Mary Jane Candies, Slo Poke, and Atkinson’s Candies.
Of course, we source our sugar from Imperial Sugar in Sugar Land, Texas.
As a small business, we focus on sourcing as much as possible from small brands. In that way, we are helping the Texas economy. I invite you to Shop Small this Saturday, during the Christmas season, and throughout all of 2026.
Sue Schulz opened Whats Poppin’ Texas in Bedford in November 2015, and she opened a second location in Waxahachie this past September. Following a 30-year career in the beauty products and salon industry, she entered the popcorn retail business because she recognized it would be fun and fulfilling. After serving in leadership roles with the Hurst Euless Bedford Chamber of Commerce for the past seven years, she was elected to serve as the Chamber’s 2026 Chairman.
