Signs point to relatively solid holiday season for U.S. small businesses

All signs point to a relatively solid holiday season for America’s small businesses. Despite the encouraging news, owners of these businesses appear to have a collective anxiety about the months ahead. American kept up their spending over the summer. Yet even as they open their wallets, consumers seem pessimistic about their finances. In turn, owners fear consumers have run through their pandemic savings and might cut back this holiday season or shop online again after years of supporting local businesses.