A September 2025 survey of 6,000 US consumers, commissioned by Intuit QuickBooks and the US Chamber of Commerce, found shoppers plan to direct about 41% of their 2026 holiday spending to small businesses -- up from 36% the year before, and roughly $109 billion in aggregate. Separately, the National Retail Federation expects about 67 million shoppers to turn out specifically for Small Business Saturday.
How much of your holiday budget should go to small business?
There's no universal right answer, but 41% is a useful starting anchor -- it reflects what shoppers actually told researchers they intend to do in 2026, not an aspirational target set by a campaign. Whether you land higher, lower, or right at that mark is a personal call.
A holiday shopping budget by category, not just by recipient
Most holiday budgeting tools split spending by who you're buying for -- a gift-by-gift list. That's useful, but it doesn't answer a different, increasingly relevant question: of your total budget, how much is going to small businesses versus big-box retail versus online marketplaces?
A Small Business Saturday budget planner for your actual numbers
Small Business Saturday itself (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) is one day, but the spending pattern behind it -- consciously directing a meaningful share of holiday dollars to small businesses -- plays out across the whole season.
Split holiday spending online vs. local, with your own budget
The Holiday Shopping Budget Channel Allocator takes your total holiday budget and splits it across small business, big-box retail, and online -- starting from the 41% small-business figure as an adjustable default, not a fixed rule.
Try the Holiday Shopping Budget Channel Allocator →
Sources: Intuit QuickBooks/US Chamber of Commerce holiday spending survey (September 2025, quickbooks.intuit.com); National Retail Federation, Small Business Saturday coverage.