Factsheets and Infographics
Facts and stats to help you make the case for a community-scaled economy, fight consolidation, and advocate for independent business.
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The Impact of Dollar Stores and How Communities Can Fight Back (Fact Sheet)
National dollar store chains, including Dollar General and Dollar Tree, have seen huge growth over the past decade. These stores are also feeding more Americans than Whole Foods is. New research from ILSR’s Community-Scaled Economy Initiative documents the rapid rise of dollar stores and their damaging effects on the local economies of cities and small towns. Explore our two-page fact sheet to learn more about dollar store impacts and strategies to take action.… Read More
Why Care about Independent, Locally Owned Businesses?
Locally owned businesses play a central role in healthy communities and are among the best engines that cities and towns have for advancing economic opportunity and building resilient places. Here, we outline five important reasons for local officials to support independent businesses, based on a growing body of research.… Read More
New Toolkit Helps Independent Businesses Advocate for Policies that Support the Local Economy
When independent businesses meet with their local officials, they help build the mindset that independent businesses matter. A new Local Policy Action Toolkit created by ILSR with the Advocates for Independent Business coalition offers independent business owners and retailers concrete tips for engaging with their city officials and advocating for policies that strengthen and grow local businesses. By advocating for policy change, independent business owners can help create a stronger local economy.… Read More
As Amazon Moves to Capture Local Government Spending, Here’s What You Can Do
A recent contract opens the way for billions of dollars in local government spending to shift to Amazon. The good news is that, for concerned citizens and public officials, Amazon’s push into the public sector offers a way to take action at the local level and start a concrete conversation about Amazon’s power and what we should do about it. In this fact sheet, we outline three strategies to use to take action.… Read More
8 Policy Strategies Cities Can Use to Support Local Businesses
Independent businesses are among the best engines that cities have for advancing economic opportunity. But they’re disappearing in many places. This isn’t, in large part, because these businesses aren’t competitive. It’s because misguided public policy and concentrated market power are working against them. In this policy brief, we present 8 ways that cities can level the playing field and ensure that local businesses have the opportunity to start, grow, and thrive.… Read More
Local Governments Are Increasingly Buying from Amazon. Here’s Why They Need to Stop.
Local governments are increasingly turning to Amazon for their buying needs. When they do, though, citizens lose. Here’s why you should be concerned about this spreading trend — and 5 things you can do.… Read More
How Amazon Undermines Jobs, Wages, and Working Conditions (Fact Sheet)
ILSR and Jobs with Justice partnered to produce a fact sheet that looks at how Amazon is undermining wages and conditions for working people, and driving growing inequality.… Read More
Key Studies: Why Local Matters
A growing body of research is giving us new ways to quantify the harms of bigness and the benefits of local ownership. In this post, we round-up the important studies and provide the evidence that policymakers can use to craft better laws, business owners can use to rally support, and citizens can use to organize their communities.… Read More
Before You Click on Amazon, Here’s Why Your Choice Matters (Infographic)
Amazon is rapidly expanding its online empire, but behind the conveniences that the company offers are a lot of hidden costs. … Read More
5 Things Local Officials Need to Know About Amazon
Amazon fulfillment centers impose so many hidden costs on local economies that cities ought to reconsider welcoming them at all, much less greasing the way with public funds.… Read More
Get the Facts on Shopping Local for the Holidays with this Infographic
Independent businesses are poised to draw more people this holiday season. To illustrate the ways that local businesses are growing in popularity, delivering stronger economic returns, and expanding in numbers, the Advocates for Independent Business, a coalition of 14 groups coordinated … Read More
Understanding Amazon.com: A Reading List
Our suggested reading list for better understanding Amazon and the implications of its growing dominance. … Read More
Top 10 Reasons to Support Locally Owned Businesses
Here are the ten short-and-sweet reasons why supporting independent businesses is critical to the well-being of our communities and our economy.… Read More
Big Box Toolkit
This toolkit provides guidance on how to block big-box development in your community, including tips on how to form an effective citizens group, fact sheets to help educate your neighbors and elected officials, and advice on intervening in the land use review process.… Read More
Localism Index
Perhaps we’re not doomed to an economy controlled by a few giant corporations after all. A growing number of signs suggest that local, independent businesses might just be making a comeback.
Inspired by the Harper’s Index, we’ve compiled a list of key indicators of a return to the local. … Read More