Survey Finds Independent Businesses Benefit from “Buy Local First” Campaigns, But Challenges Loom
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/2013-independent-business-survey/ILSR’s annual survey has found that independent businesses experienced solid revenue growth in 2012, buoyed in part by “buy local first” initiatives. But the survey also documented challenges facing independent businesses, most notably an increase in “showrooming” and competition from online retailers, tax and subsidy policies that favor their big competitors, difficulty obtaining loans, and a customer base still reeling from the recession. Continue reading
