By Maria Valdez Haubrich
According to a just-released American Express OPEN Retail Economic Pulse report, 51 percent of small retailers believe the “buy local” attitude in the United States is growing, compared to 9 percent who don’t believe it (41 percent were not sure). In addition, 55 percent of small retailers believe that “buy local” campaigns can help small businesses compete in challenging economic times.
The study also showed small retailers are still nervous about the economy bouncing back and still hesitant about hiring (33 percent plan to hire over the next 6 months). More results show:
- Small retailers are leveraging local review sites like Yahoo Local and Yelp! (51 percent use at least one site) and social media (51 percent use at least one platform and 37 percent will increase usage this year)
- Men are more likely to believe “buy local” sentiment is growing than women (59 percent versus 47 percent)
- “Buy local” is not a phenomenon restricted to the coasts: small retailers from the north central states are more likely to believe “buy local” sentiment is growing than any other region (49 percent versus 39 percent in the south, 37 percent in the northeast and 38 percent in the west)
For more details on the study go to http://www.openforum.com/economicpulse.
Also, last year we wrote about how American Express OPEN proclaimed the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday in an effort to promote shopping at small business establishments. This year’s event is scheduled for November 26, 2011. To join the movement and learn more, visit SmallBusinessSaturday.
