71% of Consumers are Ready to Pay More to Shop at Small Businesses This Holiday Season

TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Consumers are in a giving mood this year, not just toward their friends and families, but also to small businesses. According to a new GoDaddy survey, 71%* of U.S. shoppers are willing to pay more to support small businesses during Black Friday and this year’s holiday season, with an eye-popping 53%* of them willing to spend up to 10 percent more to do so. 

Despite 65%* of survey respondents agreeing that inflation will impact their shopping this holiday season, their desire to shop small is clear. More than 3 in 4 (78%)** people are as or more likely to shop at a small business this Black Friday and throughout the holidays compared to previous years, with Gen Z being the most likely to shop small (85%)** and Millennials following closely behind (83%)**.  

Of the reasons to favor small businesses, 30% of respondents cited wanting to support their local economy, while 18% claimed doing so led to better customer service, and 13% preferred unique or handmade products**. 

The Stakes Are Big for Small Businesses 

GoDaddy surveyed U.S. consumers to help small businesses understand their customers’ shopping priorities during the all-important holiday season. According to the survey results, 40%* of U.S. consumers plan to do most of their holiday shopping in the next four weeks, with almost 1 in 5 (19%)* planning to do the bulk of their shopping on Black Friday alone.  

“Black Friday has long been considered peak selling season for large retailers, but GoDaddy’s research makes it crystal clear U.S. shoppers are willing and eager to make this the smallest Black Friday ever,” said GoDaddy Small Business Trends Expert, Amy Jennette. “Despite inflation concerns and rising costs, consumers want to support their local businesses and economies.” 

Jennette continued: “To take advantage of this opportunity, small businesses should lean into the ‘shopping small’ experience that consumers value and are willing to pay more for. They can do this by focusing on unique holiday promotions and offers to attract traffic and provide superior customer service along with unique products and experiences they can’t find elsewhere.” 

Who Consumers Are Shopping for and How Much They’re Spending  

GoDaddy’s survey also shows consumers are embracing the spirit of giving. Nearly one-third (31%) of consumers purchase gifts for six or more people, and 10%* extend their shopping lists to more than 10 people. 

For many, the holiday season is a time to show their generosity, with about a fifth of respondents (22%)** typically spending more than $100 per person. Additionally, 32% of shoppers who participated in the survey reported spending between $51 and $100 per person during the holidays. That means over half (54%) of respondents plan to spend more than $50 on gifts per person this holiday season. 

Spreading holiday joy isn’t just about giving gifts to others. Two-thirds (67%)** of consumers intend to treat themselves to a holiday indulgence, as well. Gen Z is the most likely to do so, with 83%** planning to buy themselves a special item or experience. 

So Many Tools and Resources to Help Small Businesses This Holiday Season 

Small businesses looking for guidance on how to maximize their seasonal sales should visit GoDaddy’s Ultimate Guide to Holiday Campaign Planning. Valuable resources include holiday marketing advice by channel, do’s and don’ts for offering seasonal promotions, AI prompts that make it easy to manage and promote a business during the busiest time of year, and much more.  

Visit GoDaddy.com to learn more about the solutions GoDaddy offers small businesses, including the AI-powered GoDaddy Airo experience that TechRadar called “a game-changer for small businesses looking to establish their online presence, particularly because of how much time and effort it saves.”  

Methodology
The survey data referenced in this news release was collected via two surveys in which U.S. consumers were asked about their holiday shopping habits: one conducted in October 2024 with 1,247 respondents* and one in September 2024 with 1,520 respondents**. 

About GoDaddy
GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY) helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers, sell their products and services, and accept payments online and in-person. GoDaddy’s easy-to-use tools help microbusiness owners manage everything in one place and its expert guides are available to provide assistance 24/7. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com. 

Source: GoDaddy Inc.

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SOURCE GoDaddy Inc.

NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The World Influencers and Bloggers Association (WIBA) proudly announced the launch of the World Influencers Awards USA with an exclusive, private dinner event on October 30 at The Mark Hotel in New York City.

Set against the luxurious backdrop of The Mark Hotel, the evening provided an intimate, behind-the-scenes introduction to the World Influencers and Bloggers Association, an organization headquartered in Monaco that unites over 6,000 bloggers and influencers worldwide. This U.S. launch marked a pivotal moment for WIBA as it strengthened its connections within the American influencer community.

The World Influencers and Bloggers Association proudly hosts the World Influencers and Bloggers Awards, an annual event during the Cannes Film Festival. Since 2019, this global awards ceremony has celebrated top social media personalities in categories like Fashion, Food, Travel, Fitness, Entertainment, Philanthropy, Education, Lifestyle, Art, and Beauty. Known as the leading awards for influencers, it honors outstanding figures across various platforms. Notable awardees include Khaby Lame, Coco Rocha, Maye Musk, Kelly Rutherford, Nusret Gökçe, and Burak Özdemir. Each WIBA Awards event reaches an audience of 200 million followers on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

As a multi-faceted organization, WIBA includes the WIBA Academy, WIBA Agency, WIBA Magazine, and its flagship WIBA Awards event.

WIBA‘s Mission : As the foremost global organization dedicated to recognizing the impact of influencers and bloggers, WIBA celebrates digital media leaders who inspire global audiences and shape conversations across industries. Through the launch of World Influencers Awards USA, WIBA aims to empower creators, elevate their contributions to culture, business, and society, and foster meaningful connections within the American market.

“We are glad to host the World Influencers Awards USA launch in the heart of New York City at The Mark Hotel. This event marks a significant milestone for WIBA as we expand our reach and strengthen connections within the American influencer community,” said Mariia Grazhina Chaplin, WIBA Founder/CEO.

About WIBA

The World Influencers and Bloggers Association (WIBA), headquartered in Monaco, has celebrated the achievements of digital leaders for seven consecutive years with its annual awards event in Cannes, France, coinciding with the Cannes Film Festival.

Contact: contact@wiba.global

Link: https://dam.gettyimages.com/assignments/wiba-awards-launch-in-the-usa

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2545916/WIBA.jpg

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SOURCE The World Influencers and Bloggers Association (WIBA)

New York-based startup enables AI agents to code autonomously in secure environments, addressing fundamental limitations in current AI coding tools

NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Daytona, a leader in development environment management, announced its OpenHands demo on agent-agnostic middleware infrastructure today, addressing fundamental limitations in current AI coding tools. This solution enables AI coding agents to operate in parallel sandboxed environments, marking a paradigm shift from traditional file-scoped AI assistance to true autonomous development capabilities.

“Current AI coding assistants are constrained by local environments and lack of output access, leading to inconsistent experiences, compute limitations, and security concerns,” said Ivan Burazin, CEO of Daytona. “Our infrastructure allows AI agents to dynamically spin up unlimited workspace replicas, test multiple solutions simultaneously, and deliver fully tested code outcomes – capabilities that were previously impossible.”

This technology represents a step toward democratizing software development,” explains Burazin. “What was once complex and risky is now simple and secure, making AI-powered software development accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical background and security restrictions.”

The platform launched with OpenHands integration first, demonstrating how AI agents can leverage proper infrastructure support to perform complex development tasks. OpenHands is one of several popular open-source AI coding agents that help developers write software through natural language commands.

“This is the future of AI-assisted development,” added Burazin. “Instead of theoretical suggestions, AI agents can now independently experiment, iterate, and solve complex coding challenges in real-time, delivering practical, tested solutions seamlessly.”

The proof of concept is available immediately through openhands.daytona.io, with no waitlist or complex setup required. As part of its commitment to advancing AI development standards, Daytona is actively seeking collaboration with the developer community to help shape the future of AI agent infrastructure.

“We believe that AI will automate the majority of programming tasks in the future,” states Burazin. “Our role is to ensure this transition happens securely and efficiently. By providing the necessary infrastructure today, we’re paving the way for a future where AI and human developers can collaborate seamlessly and safely.”

For more information about Daytona’s AI agent infrastructure or to experience it firsthand, visit https://openhands.daytona.io.

About Daytona

Daytona is pioneering the next generation of development environment management solutions. The company’s agent-agnostic middleware infrastructure enables AI coding assistants to operate at their full potential while maintaining enterprise-grade security and efficiency. Following a recent $5 million seed round, Daytona is rapidly expanding its operations and actively recruiting talent in both Split and New York offices.

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SOURCE Daytona Platforms, Inc