Feb 26, 2012

Mom-and-Pop Shops Still Backbone of S.J. EconomyBy Dana M. NicholsRecorNet.com

Stockton, CA – Just a few decades ago, Americans did most of their buying and eating out in places such as Stockton’s Miracle Mile or Lincoln Center: shopping districts dominated by locally-owned, independent retailers.

But the rise of big-box stores, online retailers and chain restaurants has changed home-grown business formulas.

Now, locally-owned, independent stores capture only about 48 percent of the retail dollars spent in the United States, according to a study the Civic Economics consulting firm issued in October 2011.

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