American Express is encouraging Australians to support local businesses this month with the commencement of its third annual Shop Small campaign.
Launched on 2 November in Melbourne, Shop Small aims to bring together the business community, government and consumers to put the spotlight on small businesses.
Minister for Small Business, Kelly O’Dwyer, attended the launch and called on consumers to give back to local businesses by shopping with them.
“Small businesses account for four in every 10 jobs, contribute over $340 billion of economic output and employ more than 4.5 million Australians,” she says.
“Without small business in Australia, half of the private sector workforce could find themselves unemployed and our local shopping villages would have a distinct lack of character.
“As consumers, it’s our job to step up and show support to the small businesses which give us so much, because they are the heart of our community.”
This message comes at a time when a report commissioned by American Express found that 67 per cent of Australians would miss the small businesses in their area if they were forced to close, but only 46 per cent opt to shop small rather than at large businesses.
Melanie Cochrane, senior vice president American Express global merchant services, says consumers need to turn their affection for small business into action.
“When it comes to delivering a great customer experience it’s the little things that count, and no one does this better than small business owners,” she says.
“As such, it’s no surprise two thirds of residents said they would miss their local small businesses if they were to close, or that 61 per cent say the local shopping village is the heart of the community.”
Cochrane also says consumers should weigh up all the benefits of supporting local business rather than focusing exclusively on price, which small businesses often struggle to compete on.
“Throughout Shop Small month and into the future we encourage Australian consumers to spend in their local small businesses to ensure they are here for years to come.”
To encourage its card holders to participate in Shop Small, American Express will provide a $10 statement credit to those who register, and customers will receive the credit each time they spend $20 or more at participating businesses up to 10 times.
To learn more visit www.shopsmallaustralia.com
By Ruth Cooper
