Illinoisans Love Bakeries, Want More Bars, Restaurants: Survey

Illinois loves its bakeries, and we'd like more bookstores too, according to the results of the Small Business Saturday survey. More than 100 million shoppers reported buying from local independently-owned businesses during the eighth post-Black Friday weekend event, according to data released on "Cyber Monday" from the National Federation of Independent Businesses and American Express.

An estimated 43 percent of all U.S. adults either shopped or dined at a small business on Nov. 25, the 2017 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey found.

Data from Illinois show 44 percent of consumers headed out to restaurants, bars or pubs, 25 percent to food stores or supermarkets, 24 percent to clothing stores and accessories and 22 percent – significantly more than the national average – to bakeries, according to a state-by-state breakdown of the poll conducted by Morning Consult.

When survey respondents were asked which type of business is most associated with their local communities 32 percent said bar or restaurant. That was nearly three times the next highest responses, 11 percent for supermarket and 10 percent for bakery.

In Illinois, 54 percent of shoppers went out with family, 32 percent by themselves and 24 percent with friends. (That's slightly more solo shoppers than the national average.) Who were they shopping for? 60 percent said family, 49 percent said for themselves, 21 percent said for friends, 7 percent said "other" and 6 percent said for colleagues. When asked which type of business they wanted more of, 21 percent said restaurant/bar/pub, 20 percent said bakery and 15 percent wished for more local book stores.

The survey said the top reason for Illinois shoppers to support small businesses was that they enjoy "supporting local community," with 64 percent of respondents choosing that answer. 44 percent said staff and/or owners give better service at independently-owned businesses.

“Small Business Saturday has become an incredibly important day for small businesses across the nation,” said NFIB CEO and president Juanita Duggan, in a news release, announcing the survey. “We are very proud to be a part of this program and to be able to show how valuable small businesses are to local communities, whether on Main Street or online.”

According to the survey, 35 percent of consumers reported they shopped online at a small business on Nov. 25. It said 70 percent of shoppers are now aware of the event nationwide.

“In year eight, it’s encouraging to see Small Business Saturday continue to gain momentum as more people recognize the benefits that independently-owned businesses bring to their neighborhoods—and our country as a whole," American Express Executive Vice President of Global Advertising and MediaElizabeth Rutledge said in the release.

It said there's been an 18 percent increase in the number of participating organizations in the 575-member Small Business Saturday Coalition and a 7 percent increase in "Neighborhood Champions" to help rally communities to celebrate Small Business Saturday.

The other states besides Illinois to report visiting bakeries the most are Massachusetts and New York, according to the survey. As for our neighbors, Indiana and Wisconsin reported visiting more hardware or paint stores than other states, Kentucky spent more at service shops and Iowa and Missouri's "state standouts" were bars and restaurants.

» Check out the complete Small Business Saturday Survey Results with state-by-state breakdowns

_{Top photo: Young shoppers get their faces painted while the adults check out homemade truffles and magazines at City Newsstand's Small Business Saturday event in Portage Park, Chicago on Saturday, November 26, 2016. | Jean-Marc Giboux | AP Images for American Express}