Press Release

November 17, 2011
CARDIN ENCOURAGES SHOPPERS TO SHOP LOCAL AND SHOP SMALL ON “SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY”
Senator cosponsored successful Senate resolution to promote post-Thanksgiving Small Business Saturday

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, is urging consumers to shop at local, independently owned businesses on the nation’s second annual “Small Business Saturday,” which falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday during the heaviest shopping weekend of the year.  Senator Cardin recently cosponsored a resolution (S. Res. 320) that designated November 26, 2011 as Small Business Saturday.     

“Small businesses are the driving force behind job creation in America, but they need our support to keep our economy moving,” said Senator Cardin.  “Small Business Saturday is a chance for all of us to support small, independently owned businesses that help sustain local communities in Maryland and all across America.  We can all play a part in growing America’s economy by giving small businesses on Main Street a helping hand.”

Senator Cardin recorded a series of public service announcements encouraging shoppers to participate in Small Business Saturday that are airing radio stations across Maryland, as well as Washington, DC, Virginia, West Virginia and Philadelphia, PA.  In Maryland alone, 526,663 small employers account for 97.6% of the state’s employers and 52.4% of its private-sector employment.  

According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated 212 million shoppers spent $45 billion on consumer purchases during Thanksgiving weekend last year.  By designating November 26, 2011 as Small Business Saturday, the goal of the resolution is to encourage a larger percentage of these shoppers to make their purchases from local businesses, increasing the share of the profits small businesses will enjoy. 

For more information on Small Business Saturday, click here. Use the links below to listen to or download Senator Cardin’s PSAs encouraging participation in Small Business Saturday:

http://cardin.senate.gov/PSA 30 seconds

http://cardin.senate.gov/PSA 15 seconds

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