Break the Chain-Store Habit; July is National Independent Retailer Month

Please join the Collegeville Main Street Program (CMSP) as we encourage you to shop in a locally owned businesses, especially during the month of July - designated National Independent Retailer Month.  Creators of National Independent Retailer Month hope that the added attention focused on independently owned, small businesses will demonstrate the importance of shopping locally.

Research clearly shows a host of benefits of shopping locally.  Did you know that $68 of every $100 dollars spent in a local independently owned business will come back to the community in the form of payroll, taxes or other spending?  Compare that to only $43 of $100 spent at a local chain and $0 of every $100 spent online.  Your money is at work in your local community since locally independently owned business owners personally invest more money in the towns they live and work in.  They also contribute more to local non-profits, athletic teams, etc.  Spending money in local independently owned businesses encourages product diversity; products are selected by owner choice and the needs of customers instead of a national sales plan.  Perhaps the best benefit to shopping at a local independently owned business is that you receive extra attention and superior service; small businesses compete by offering excellent customer service and quality goods.  How many national chains can one walk into and be greeted by name?

Jenny Greenwald, owner of Greenwald Flower and Plant Design knows she cannot compete with the likes of FTD or Teleflora because of their size, but, “I know I do better than these large florists by providing my customers with the freshest greenery and I personally create each piece based on what the person wants.  I do not just send a predesigned standardized piece.  My customers are my boss and I make sure to surpass their expectations.”

For more information on National Independent Retailer Month, visit www.independentretailermonth.com.  For more information on the Collegeville Main Street Program contact Linda Flederbach, Main Street Manager at 610-454-1050.