Surpass your goals on eBay this Small Business Saturday

In 2021, U.S. shoppers spent over $23 billion at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday, with 79% of consumers especially wanting to support the small businesses in their communities.¹ This translates into the online retail world, as a whopping 92% of surveyed eBay shoppers said they plan to do most of their holiday purchasing online this year, where many small businesses are established.²

eBay is the home of small business, offering sellers and brands a plethora of support to encourage their success, including listing best practices, educational resources, marketing tools, advertising solutions, and opportunities like the Up & Running Grants program, which annually awards 50 diverse eBay sellers with the money and resources they need to thrive online. It is clear that the love for small business is strong at eBay and buyers flock to eBay in support. 

What exactly is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday is occurring this year on November 26th, the Saturday following Thanksgiving, and was created to uplift local and independent businesses amid the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Just last year, 56.4 million online shoppers participated in Small Business Saturday.³

Small Business Saturday is a critical day for optimizing listing visibility to capture the eyes of the millions of shoppers looking to support small businesses and find the perfect gifts. Being at the top of an eBay shoppers search results could help your products land in shopper carts. Results from our recent holiday research study show that more than half (63%) of surveyed online shoppers said they are likely to buy a promoted item during this year’s holiday season.²

So what are shoppers looking for during the season? 

Many head online with the intention of securing holiday gifts and winter decorations, increasing the potential for visibility and interaction for commonly gifted items during the season. 

Every minute on eBay on Small Business Saturday 2021, shoppers purchased⁴:

• 26 Action Figure toys
• 12 Activewear items
• 35 Books 
• 25 DVDs/Blu-rays
• More than 3 Headlight assemblies
• 15 Ornaments

While plenty of popular gifts in the entertainment, toys, and activewear categories were purchased on Small Business Saturday in 2021, eBay shoppers were very interested in consumer electronics including iPhones and video game consoles, as proven by the most searched keywords during the shopping event.

The top keywords searched on Small Business Saturday 2021 were⁵:

• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• Laptop
• Nintendo Switch
• Off White
• Playstation5
• PS5
• Pokemon
• Xbox Series X

We found that seasonal yard décor was 2x as likely to be purchased on Small Business Saturday than any other day of the year, and stockings and hangers were 2.2x more likely to be purchased. While many items sold were in the winter category, Men’s sandals also saw a 1.8x jump in likelihood to be purchased.⁶

It’s vital to take advantage of the huge influx of online shoppers over the entire Thanksgiving weekend, for millions of people will be scouting for good deals and holiday gifts from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Although each day over the weekend is efficient for garnering holiday sales, participating in Small Business Saturday is exceedingly effective for eBay sellers. In 2021, there were actually more purchases on Small Business Saturday than on Black Friday and Green Monday.⁷

Tips to boost your sales this Small Business Saturday

Some methods to acquire this season’s amplified sales is by offering incentives to shop, such as limited time promotions or discounts. Getting the word out about any potential promotions through social media, email, or eye-catching graphics can also prove fruitful for small brands.

It is proven that one of the most effective ways to grow your online business is through investing in eBay’s advertising solutions. The Promoted Listings portfolio helps sellers drive more traffic to their listings and attract the attention of value-driven digital shoppers looking to make a purchase. And this goes beyond the winter season, as promoted listings prove invaluable for increasing visibility and meeting your business goals before, during, and following the holidays. 

Employ the benefits of eBay’s advertising solutions this Small Business Saturday by selecting the campaign type that is right for your business.

Discover more online shopper insights over the anticipated holiday season, from top keywords to the most effective ads, by downloading our 2022 eBay Ads Holiday Guide. Click the button below to learn more.