One of the bonuses to attending the A.I.R. (Advocates for Independent Retail) Summit is that we were among the first to see Civic Economics’ latest study, the Indie City Index. Based on their always-thorough methodology, CE was able to rank the top 363 metropolitan regions (not cities, since many MSAs are in extremely rural areas) according to how “independent brick and mortar healthy” they are. The more active and supported local independent businesses are in an area, the higher the score; the less active and supported, the lower the score. Here’s how the overall list shook out: [click here to continue…]
One of the perks to networking and traveling all year, focused on independent businesses, is that I get to visit some pretty stellar retail stores along the way. The happy memories are endless…All Good Things (Madison, IN), where real bubbles roll out from under the front awning…Man in the Moon Candies (Oswego NY) that continues a multi-generational tradition of selling “sponge candy”…Toy House (Jackson MI) that makes ToysRUs look like a wannabe…
Being a big believer in high fives, following is my 2010 list of businesses and individuals who redefine smart, savvy, and independent, doing it better than any chain or big box ever could. Please forgive the fact the list is incomplete; there were simply too many to fit into a blog post. Or ten. Or one hundred. [click here to continue…]
From The New Yorker, circa 1980’s (presumably written by an independent retailer whose name is missing from the piece):
A Nation of Shopkeepers
England has been called “a nation of shopkeepers,” and rightly so. We know a man living in London who comes home very Thursday to find his refrigerator newly stocked by the grocer across the street. This particular grocery store is about the size and shape of a butler’s pantry, presided over by a Dickensian character named Hughes. [click here to continue…]
Just learned about this from a couple of retailers I met during The 3/50 Project Northern California Tour earlier this year. The fine folks of Willows, CA put on an annual holiday parade, which Holly and Dolores, owners of Gathering Better Junque, saw as an opportunity to remind residents to support their local, independent brick and mortar merchants.
Gotta tell you, when I put the graphics together for the Big Things campaign, it never occurred to me just how creative you’d get with the theme. From Atchison, KS Chamber adorning an entire stage in purple and gold packages to the Gathering Better Junque Danali (complete with a fully lit Christmas tree and our Big Things posters), well…color me impressed.
And proud.
And touched.
You folks are what makes the Project sing. Thanks for your glorious voices and unbridled enthusiasm; that’s what makes this work!
This one, admittedly, warms my heart. You see, I grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska, where a field reporter from KOLN/KGIN TV (CBS) came to interview me about The 3/50 Project last week. Standing inside Conestoga Mall, the site of my first full time job (outside the family business), certainly brought on a couple of full circle moments...and a confession.* [click here to continue…]
Sorry ’bout this, but I have to use the blog for a few tests today. Seems the TwitMe plugin has broken down (yet again) which means none of my blog posts have been going to Twitter while I’ve been on the road the past month.
:::sigh:::
Am working on it now, so please bear with me. Thanks!
Credit Card Payment Problems Fall Five of the six biggest credit card companies showed fewer card holders falling behind on their payments in October and fewer balances being written off by the companies, which in the past few years have written off billions of dollars as uncollectible. Four of the six biggest issuers, including the largest, JPMorgan Chase, reported their lowest levels of bad debt and late payments this year. Only Bank of America reported an uptick in loans it gave up trying to collect, to 10.15% of balances from 9.98% in September. [click here to continue…]
“A new report finds charitable giving dropped by 11% last year because of the recession. That is said to be the worst decline in at least twenty years.”
While it’s no surprise that personal donations dropped as households tightened their belts and jobs became scarce, the reality is that another (often taken for granted) donor pipeline is over-stressed: locally owned, independent, brick and mortar businesses.
Do they want to continue helping out? Sure they do–assuming, of course, the non-profit asking for support is, in turn, supporting the merchant. [click here to continue…]
One of the bonuses to attending the A.I.R. (Advocates for Independent Retail) Summit is that we were among the first to see Civic Economics’ latest study, the Indie City Index. Based on their always-thorough methodology, CE was able to rank the top 363 metropolitan regions (not cities, since many MSAs are in extremely rural areas) according to how “independent brick and mortar healthy” they are. The more active and supported local independent businesses are in an area, the higher the score; the less active and supported, the lower the score. Here’s how the overall list shook out: [click here to continue…]
I’m spoiled rotten.
From The New Yorker, circa 1980’s (presumably written by an independent retailer whose name is missing from the piece):
Just learned about this from a couple of retailers I met during 
From USA Today:
From NBC News this morning:
