With people now looking forward to a post-pandemic future, Pinterest has teamed up with American Express to highlight 20+ SMBs that are selling items on the platform that people are looking for as they plan for the next stage.

As you can see here, Pinterest's 'The Comeback Edit' initiative will see a range of SMBs highlighted in the Pinterest Shop.

As per Pinterest:

"From pottery by East Fork and home decor from Coming Soon, to fresh manicures from Chillhouse and beautifully prepped skin courtesy of Pholk Beauty, this newest edit of the Pinterest Shop has something for everyone. Each product was selected for those who are planning their “future me” and how they want to show up in the world as it begins to slowly reopen."

The initiative was sparked by the rising interest in supporting SMBs, with Pinterest searches for “how to support small business” increasing by 50% over the past year.

With the pandemic lockdowns causing many businesses to suffer huge losses, SMBs, in particular, have struggled to weather that storm. According to estimates from the Federal Reserve, 200,000 US businesses could be forced to shut down as a result of the pandemic's ongoing impacts, with the majority of those being small businesses, which were already up against it in many circumstances, and operating on very tight margins. 

Indeed, Pinterest further notes that many businesses are still working to stay afloat:

"47% of business owners are concerned about their profits over the next few months, while 75% of consumers say they would shop with small businesses more often if there were more ways to do so."

Given the increased impetus for people to support their local communities, and the businesses that operate within them, Pinterest has already seen a significant surge in activity as shoppers look to buy from soloprenuers and creators through the app. Which makes it a perfect vehicle for this initiative, helping to highlight SMBs, and give users a means to directly contribute to keeping these selected creators afloat, as they navigate through the crisis.

If you're looking to take part, you can check out the Pinterest Shop to view the highlighted businesses.

The chosen brands will be highlighted on the Pinterest Shop tab throughout the summer.