Spring 2012

Cash in on Cash Mobs By Heather Johnson Durocher

Buy Local’s Impact

Encourage your customers to buy local. A 2012 Independent Business survey conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance found that:

A larger share (61%) of survey respondents reported revenue growth in 2011 compared to last year’s survey, when only 54% of businesses reported an increase in revenue in 2010.

Independent retailers experienced stronger holiday sales than the industry average. While overall holiday sales were up 4.1% in 2011, independent retailers in this survey reported that their holiday sales increased an average of 6.7%.

More than three-quarters of businesses surveyed said that public awareness of the benefits of supporting locally owned businesses had increased in the last year.

Independent businesses in communities with an active “buy local” campaign operated by a local business organization reported revenue growth of 7.2% in 2011, compared to 2.6% for those in areas without such an initiative.

Looking specifically at retail respondents, the survey found that those in areas with an active “buy local” campaign reported holiday sales growth of 8.5% in 2011, compared to 5.2% for those retailers in areas without such an initiative.

According to 85% of respondents, the fact that their business is locally owned and independent matters to some or most of their customers.

As a small business retailer, make sure you participate in every ‘buy local’ movement possible.

American Express’s Small Business Saturday, held the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year, has been a runaway success ever since its inception. The latest SBS had over 100 million shoppers turning out to support small businesses like yours. For more information and year-round marketing tools, visit smallbusinesssaturday.com.

The American Independent Business Alliance also encourages your customer to shop small businesses. For marketing materials and support, visit www.amiba.net.

Heather Johnson Durocher

Durocher is a northern Michigan-based journalist who writes frequently about business for newspapers and magazines. She has contributed to USA Weekend, Woman's Day, Parents and American Baby. Visit her website at HeatherDurocher.com