Plus: Who really owns small businesses?
The numbers don’t lie. But sometimes they don’t tell the whole story, either. This week, we look at some surprising small business statistics and what they can mean for you. We also take a beat to reflect on the importance of good reviews for fellow SMBs and the perils of leaving bad ones.
But first, check out these 11 ground-breaking architectural designs for the Best Products Company retail chain in Richmond, Va.
The future of food? Amazon to close its Go and Fresh stores.
Big box. Meanwhile, the retail giant will open its largest store ever, in IL.
Resale rally. And Goodwill will open its largest location in Texas.
Mall-bound? The streaming giant’s Netflix House concept could change retail.
ICE-d out. Twin Cities, Minn., reveal economic impact from ICE raids.
The small business stats that matter and why
Forbes rounded up relevant small business statistics across several categories, including employment, job creation, salaries/wages, ownership stats, e-comm stats, business costs and survival rates.
Among the most revealing: Over eight out of 10 SMBs have zero employees, and only 16% have one to 19; professional and business services have been significant contributors to job growth; the industry with the highest projected job growth is home health and personal care.
Millennials own just 13% of SMBs, while Gen X and Boomers own the majority. And, nearly one in three small businesses still doesn’t have a website, even though more than 75% of shoppers visit a business’s website before its physical store.
Why this matters: Statistics alone don’t tell the entire story, but asking yourself where you fit within these metrics is a good pulse check and can help you focus on areas that need attention (please, have a website). (Forbes)
Why you should pause before leaving a bad review
Even fellow SMB owners can lose their cool if they have a bad experience at another business. But what they may not know is what that other owner is going through behind the scenes—it could be workers calling in sick, cash flow problems, personal issues and all the commonalities of life in general. What they should know is how much reviews can make or break a local business. Consider this a friendly reminder to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and pause before making any public comments—otherwise, karma can come back to bite you.
Why this matters: A good rule of thumb is to publicize the positive experiences, and if you have a bad one, it’s your choice not to patronize that business again. However, you don’t need to tell other prospective customers what to do or feed the social media beast. (The Guardian)
Nike investigated for alleged discrimination against White employees
NRF economist: Not every consumer segment drives overall retail growth
Seattle-based Eddie Bauer to close all North American store locations
Why some trade groups oppose credit card mandates and price controls
NFIB’s latest jobs report points to stabilizing market
Why 2026 is retail’s big reset and execution beats just planning
Brett Beveridge, founder and CEO of T-ROC, The Revenue Optimization Companies, believes that the differentiator for retail brands in 2026 will be those that execute vs. those that merely plan. The winners are consistently closing the gap between plan and store, spotting issues early instead of reacting late and connecting execution to results in real time.
“What feels different now isn’t ambition…What’s changed is tolerance. There’s less patience for missed moments. Less forgiveness when the experience doesn’t line up. Less room for delay when expectations aren’t met the first time." –Brett Beveridge
Why this matters: Beveridge suggests answering this question honestly: “Where do you see execution breaking down most right now? Planning, people or visibility? The answer usually tells you exactly where to focus next.” (LinkedIn)
Why shoppers still prefer human CX agents in the age of AI
Metrigy’s Customer Optimization 2025-26–Consumer Views study found that nearly 85% of the 503 people surveyed said they prefer interacting with a human customer service agent vs AI, and 80% still chose humans vs. bots even if they were assured their issue would be resolved. However, 46% said they would use AI agents in select circumstances, such as directing them to the right person, shipping/order confirmations and scheduling/rescheduling appointments. Forcing customers to use AI when they’re not ready could send them to a competitor. Employ AI in the right circumstances, allow customers to escalate out and invest more budget in AI to assist humans and provide analytics.
Why this matters: Serving up AI in small bites to hesitant customers will pay bigger dividends than forcing it on them too quickly. (No Jitter)
Thanks for reading this week's edition!
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The SKUpe is curated and written by Marcy Medina and edited by Bianca Prieto.
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