American Express Incorporates Augmented Reality Into 14th Annual Small Business Saturday

Founded in 2010, Small Business Saturday is American Express’s effort to encourage everyone to celebrate and support small businesses all year-round, particularly during the holiday season.

In its 2023 Shop Small Impact Study, the company found that 34% of small business owners reported they have explored ways to improve their online customer experience. Of these businesses, 83% said these efforts have made a contribution to their sales.

This year’s Small Business Saturday will feature American Express working alongside small businesses across the country to showcase how they can implement technology to engage with shoppers.

American Express is creating a new AR experience for shoppers to engage with across the country called “Door to Shop Small.” The experience will include ten small businesses selling holiday gifts.

In an effort to provide visibility to these businesses, American Express is creating art installations in three shopping landmarks: New York City’s Gansevoort Plaza, Chicago’s Magnificent Miles (Pioneer Court) and Los Angeles’s Westfield Century City (AMC Plaza). These installations will be displayed from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, November 25.

The installations will be 8-foot-tall pop-up doorways. While holding their smartphones, consumers can virtually “enter” the stores by stepping into the doorways to be led to the businesses’ websites. Consumers can then explore products and make purchases directly from their phones.

The featured small businesses will include the following:

• Cadence
• Courant
• Terminal B
• Gray Malin
• Paper Shoot Camera
• Little Word Project
• Made In
• SKNMUSE
• Silked
• Cut + Clarity

If you do not live near one of the shopping hubs where the AR pop-ups will be taking place, you can still partake in Small Business Saturday. To explore products, visit www.DoortoShopSmall.com beginning November 13.

Offer for American Express Cardholders

Eligible American Express cardholders can also take advantage of a perk the week leading up to Small Business Saturday. Eligible cardholders will receive a $5 statement credit when they enroll and spend $50 or more at a small business on the Shop Small Map with their American Express card between November 20 and November 25.

For American Express cardholders looking to support small businesses this holiday season, Small Business Saturday is a convenient way to do so. Whether you plan to visit a local pop-up event on November 25 or shop through the Shop Small Map beginning November 20, make sure to enroll in the Amex Offer to receive a $5 statement credit on $50 in spending.