n= Small Business Saturday shoppers · Fielded October 6–9, 2026
26% of holiday shoppers plan to shop on Small Business Saturday 2026 (Nov. 28), according to Drive Research’s survey of 1,405 U.S. adults. Clothing tops their lists at 54%, but arts and crafts (38%) and books (30%) rank far higher than they do on Cyber Monday shopping lists.
We surveyed 348 Small Business Saturday shoppers about what they’ll buy, how they’ll pay and how they find deals. They’re some of the busiest shoppers of the season, and their habits look different from the Black Friday and Cyber Monday crowd.
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26% of holiday shoppers plan to shop on Small Business Saturday this year, making it the smallest of the four Cyber Week shopping days. It’s a smaller group, but a committed one: most of them are shopping the whole weekend.
Cyber Week shopping day | Holiday shoppers |
|---|---|
Online Black Friday | 69% |
Cyber Monday | 61% |
In-person Black Friday | 28% |
Small Business Saturday | 26% |
81% of Small Business Saturday shoppers plan to shop Cyber Monday, and 80% will shop online on Black Friday. About a third (34%) will also be in stores on Black Friday. For most of these shoppers, Small Business Saturday is part of a four-day shopping weekend, not a replacement for it.
52% of Small Business Saturday shoppers shop Cyber Week to start or finish their holiday shopping, and 48% want to avoid the end-of-year rush. Discounts are still the top reason (84%). 26% shop for the excitement and tradition of the weekend, which fits a day built around visiting local stores.
40% of Small Business Saturday shoppers say Black Friday, online or in stores, has the best deals of the year. 26% pick Amazon Prime Day and 16% pick Cyber Monday. Small Business Saturday shoppers aren’t choosing the day for the deepest discounts. They’re choosing it for where they spend.
54% of Small Business Saturday shoppers plan to buy clothing and accessories that day. Arts and crafts come second at 38%, and books third at 30%. Those are the kinds of things people find at boutiques, craft shops and independent bookstores.
What shoppers plan to buy on Small Business Saturday | |
|---|---|
Clothing and accessories | 54% |
Arts and crafts | 38% |
Books | 30% |
Health and beauty | 28% |
Interior home design | 24% |
Pet items | 23% |
Gift cards | 23% |
Electronics | 23% |
Toys | 22% |
Household necessities | 19% |
Outdoor and gardening | 15% |
Furniture | 13% |
Sport and leisure | 12% |
Household appliances | 10% |
Fitness equipment | 10% |
Office and business items | 8% |
38% of Small Business Saturday shoppers plan to buy arts and crafts that day, and 30% plan to buy books. On Cyber Monday, those categories reach only about 1 in 5 shoppers. Small Business Saturday is when shoppers buy handmade, hobby and gift items.
Only 23% of Small Business Saturday shoppers plan to buy electronics that day. On Cyber Monday, electronics are the second-biggest category at 62%. Shoppers save the TVs and laptops for the big online sales and spend Saturday on smaller, more personal gifts.
28% of Small Business Saturday shoppers who shop online during Cyber Week plan to buy from a local business online, putting local businesses sixth on their online list. That’s nearly double the share of Cyber Monday shoppers (15%). Their support for small businesses doesn’t stop on Saturday.
20% of these shoppers plan to buy from Etsy, nearly twice the share of Cyber Monday shoppers (11%). Etsy is made up of small independent sellers, so it’s another way these shoppers buy small without leaving home.
Shopping small doesn’t mean skipping Amazon. 93% of Small Business Saturday shoppers who shop online plan to buy from Amazon, and 58% from Walmart. These shoppers mix big retailers and small businesses.
58% of Small Business Saturday shoppers plan to use cash for holiday shopping, more than debit cards (49%). Credit cards still lead at 66%. 26% have savings or a holiday fund set aside, and 22% plan to use Buy Now, Pay Later services like Affirm, Klarna or Afterpay.
47% of Small Business Saturday shoppers using a credit card plan to pay it off in full when the bill is due. 22% expect to carry a balance for three months or more. 3 in 10 (30%) feel pressure to spend more on gifts than they can comfortably afford.
25% of Small Business Saturday shoppers typically spend $400 to $599 on holiday shopping, the most common range. 19% spend $1,000 or more, and a third (33%) spend less than $400.
Typical Holiday Spending | |
|---|---|
Less than $200 | 11% |
$200 to $399 | 22% |
$400 to $599 | 25% |
$600 to $799 | 15% |
$800 to $999 | 8% |
$1,000 or more | 19% |
41% of Small Business Saturday shoppers expect to spend less on holiday shopping than last year, while 39% expect to spend about the same and 19% plan to spend more. Among those cutting back, 83% blame the rising cost of living and 72% point to grocery prices. 30% would rather spend on experiences than gifts.
61% of Small Business Saturday shoppers find Cyber Week deals through retailer promotional emails, ahead of retailer websites (57%). Text messages (30%) and in-store ads (30%) reach nearly a third, which matters for small businesses that rely on their own email and SMS lists.
76% of Small Business Saturday shoppers say free shipping matters when choosing where to shop, followed by promotions (75%) and product availability (66%). 18% factor in store hours, more than double the share of Cyber Monday shoppers (8%), because many of them are planning a trip to Main Street.
What matters when choosing where to shop on Small Business Saturday | |
|---|---|
Free shipping | 76% |
Promotions and sales | 75% |
Product availability | 66% |
Guaranteed delivery before the holidays | 54% |
Return and exchange policies | 49% |
Fast shipping | 43% |
Loyalty programs or memberships | 42% |
Online reviews | 41% |
Buy online, pick up in store | 23% |
Recommendations from family and friends | 21% |
Store hours | 18% |
Buy Now, Pay Later | 16% |
AI-powered shopping assistance | 5% |
77% of Small Business Saturday shoppers say Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals aren’t nearly as good as they used to be, and 33% strongly agree. 65% believe retailers raise prices beforehand, so the discounts aren’t real. Small businesses that can’t match big-box discounts can compete on service, selection and trust instead.
26% of Small Business Saturday shoppers expect to finish holiday shopping by the end of Small Business Saturday weekend, and 37% will finish in early to mid-December. Another 26% will still be shopping the week before Christmas or on Christmas Eve, giving local stores a second chance at the end of the season.
Survey Methodology
Drive Research surveyed 1,405 U.S. adults about their 2026 holiday shopping plans. Fieldwork was conducted October 6 to 9, 2026. Small Business Saturday shopper results are based on the 348 respondents planning to shop on Small Business Saturday, a group with a margin of error of approximately ±5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Online retailer results are based on the 315 Small Business Saturday shoppers also shopping online on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Small Business Saturday 2026 is Saturday, November 28, the day after Black Friday and two days before Cyber Monday.
26% of holiday shoppers plan to shop on Small Business Saturday in 2026. Most of them shop the rest of Cyber Week too: 81% also plan to shop Cyber Monday.
Clothing and accessories top the list at 54%, followed by arts and crafts (38%), books (30%) and health and beauty (28%). Only 23% plan to buy electronics that day.
66% plan to use a credit card for holiday shopping and 58% plan to use cash, more than debit cards (49%). 22% plan to use Buy Now, Pay Later.
Promotional emails are the top source at 61%, followed by retailer websites (57%) and social media ads (49%). 30% find deals through retailer text messages.
Yes. 93% of those shopping online during Cyber Week plan to buy from Amazon. They also support small sellers online: 28% plan to buy from a local business and 20% from Etsy.
Suggested citation: Drive Research, 2026 Holiday Shopping Survey (n=1,405 U.S. adults, including 348 Small Business Saturday shoppers, fielded October 6–9, 2026).
Media contact: Emily Rodgers, Director of Marketing | [email protected]
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