Note: The article was originally published in the Forum Journal, a publication of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
A growing body of evidence suggests that public enthusiasm for all things local and independent is on the rise, providing locally owned businesses with a measure of insulation from the worst effects of the recession, even as some of their biggest competitors teeter and collapse.
In January 2009, a national survey conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, in partnership with several organizations, found that, in an extremely challenging economic climate, independent retailers as a group are outperforming many chains. Anecdotal reports from around the country provide further evidence that these grassroots efforts to build support for local businesses are indeed changing people’s shopping habits.
