Small Business Saturday 2027: date, ideas and a plan
Small Business Saturday 2027 is November 27. Ideas that work without discounts, and a ready two-week plan of posts and emails.
By James Olawale · · 4 min read
Small Business Saturday 2027 is on Saturday, November 27, 2027, the Saturday after Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 25) and the day after Black Friday (November 26). It started in 2010 to get people shopping at local, independent businesses, and it's the one day of the holiday weekend that's on your side. The businesses that do well plan it like an event: a simple offer or a reason to come in, three or four posts in the two weeks before, an email to your customers, and an up-to-date Google listing on the day. Below are the dates, ideas that work for shops, cafés, salons and services, and a ready two-week plan.
The 2027 holiday weekend dates
| Day | Date |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thursday, November 25, 2027 |
| Black Friday | Friday, November 26, 2027 |
| Small Business Saturday | Saturday, November 27, 2027 |
| Cyber Monday | Monday, November 29, 2027 |
| Giving Tuesday | Tuesday, November 30, 2027 |
For every other 2027 date, see our 2027 small business marketing calendar.
Small Business Saturday ideas that work
You don't need a deep discount. Big stores win on price on Black Friday; you win on people, place and something they can't get online.
- A reason to come early. Free coffee, a small gift or a tote for the first 20 customers.
- A gift with purchase instead of a discount, so your margin survives.
- An in-store moment. A tasting, a mini class, a demo, a local maker at a table, or live music for an hour.
- Gift cards with a bonus. Buy $50, get $10 to use in January, which also brings people back after the holidays.
- A neighbour partnership. Team up with two businesses on your street for a stamp card or a shared prize draw.
- Show the people. Owners and staff in your posts get more trust than any product shot.
Ideas by kind of business
- Cafés and bakeries: a holiday drink or bake that launches that day, and pre-orders for Thanksgiving pies that close the Sunday before.
- Shops and boutiques: a gift guide at three price points, and gift wrapping on the day.
- Salons and barbershops: holiday party appointments, gift cards for a treatment, and a product bundle.
- Gyms and studios: a free community class that morning and a January starter offer.
- Restaurants: a set lunch for shoppers and gift cards for January visits.
- Services and trades: a gift card for a service, or a seasonal check booked for early December.
A ready two-week plan
| When | Post | |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov 13 | Announce your Small Business Saturday plan and offer | |
| Tuesday, Nov 16 | Behind the scenes: getting ready, the people, the product | Save the date to your customer list |
| Friday, Nov 19 | Gift guide or the thing that launches on the day | |
| Tuesday, Nov 23 | Reminder with the exact time and what early shoppers get | |
| Friday, Nov 26 | "Tomorrow" post, the evening before | Last call: tomorrow, with the address and hours |
| Saturday, Nov 27 | Morning post when you open, then a photo from the day | |
| Monday, Nov 29 | Thank you post, and gift cards online for Cyber Monday | Thank you, and gift cards |
Two things to check before the day:
- Your Google Business Profile. Set special hours if they change, add the offer as a Google post, and reply to recent reviews. Many shoppers check Google before they leave home. Our Google Business Profile optimization guide covers the details.
- Your email list. If you don't have one yet, start collecting emails at the counter now. See how to build an email list.
After the day
- Post a thank-you with real photos from the day (with people's OK).
- Email shoppers who came in for the first time with a reason to return in January.
- Ask happy customers for a review. Our guide on getting more Google reviews has wording you can copy.
Keep the plan running without the scramble
If posting every few days in November is hard on top of the busiest season, an AI marketing team like Scala plans the dates for you, designs the posts from your own photos with your real prices, emails your customers and posts your offer to Google, ready for you to approve. Plans start at $19 a month. Either way, the plan above works on its own.
Frequently asked questions
When is Small Business Saturday 2027?
Saturday, November 27, 2027, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Is Small Business Saturday always the day after Black Friday?
Yes. It's always the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so it always follows Black Friday.
When should I start promoting Small Business Saturday?
Two weeks ahead is enough for most local businesses: announce around November 13, then post every three or four days and email twice in the final week.
Do I need to offer a discount?
No. A gift with purchase, a bonus on gift cards, an in-store event or something new that launches that day often works better than a discount and protects your margin.
