San Francisco Retail Diversity Study
Shopping with Locally-Owned Merchants Could Net San Francisco $200 million and 1,300 New Jobs Every Year
Ground-Breaking
Study Indicates that Slight Shift in Purchasing Habits is Key to
Sustaining City’s Unique Character and Bolstering the Economy
San
Francisco, CA – May 03, 2007 – Supporters of locally owned businesses
and San Francisco neighborhoods are hailing a new economic study
showing that San Franciscans fighting to preserve the unique character
of their city can have their (locally-baked) cake and eat it, too.
The
first of its kind in the nation, the San Francisco Retail Diversity
Study was prepared by the specialized research firm Civic Economics (www.civiceconomics.com), examining four retail segments in-depth: books, sporting goods, toys and gifts and limited service dining.
Among the study’s key findings:
A
slight shift in consumer purchasing behavior -- diverting just 10% of
purchases from national chain stores to locally owned businesses –
would, each year, create 1,300 new jobs and yield nearly $200 million
in incremental economic activity.
The reverse is also true – a 10% shift away from local merchants would have a negative impact of equal but opposite magnitude.
For
purchases where quality goods or knowledgeable service are especially
important, shopping with a locally owned merchant can reward consumers
with a more satisfying experience and enhance the value they receive.
Municipal
policies tend to favor large chains and developers, and urban
governments frequently subsidize developments designed for large
numbers of chain stores.
The City of San Francisco and the
various public institutions, which account for large volume purchases,
can actively seek local bidders and provide assistance with procurement
processes.
A substantial impact may also be achieved if public
officials and institutions conscientiously seek local providers for
routine, no-bid purchases.
The independent merchants of the city provide the community with a tremendous injection of economic activity.
“San Franciscans and visitors can significantly sustain and improve the
uniquely rich character and the economy of our city with just a slight
shift in their shopping patterns,” said Hut Landon, Executive Director
of the San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance, which
commissioned the study.
http://www.civiceconomics.com/SF/
Download the Full StudyDownload the Executive SummaryDownload Talking PointsFor further information, please contact:
For SFLOMA:
Hut Landon, Executive Director
415.561.7687
info@sfloma.org or office@nicba.org
For Civic Economics:
Dan Houston
512.853.9044
dhouston@CivicEconomics.com
www.CivicEconomics.comRead the
San Francisco Chronicle article about our study.
Now is a great time to
join SFLOMA!
Going Local
RECENTLY, THERE'S been a groundswell of local businesses moving us one step closer to getting everything from the food on our tables to the clothes on our backs locally made. BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies), SFLOMA (San Francisco Locally Owned Merchants Alliance), and the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center have teamed up with the Small Business Commission (SBC) to put on this year's Shop Local First Week. The kickoff event takes place Saturday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Union Square, with about 30 local artisans selling handmade wares in the shadow of Macy's. These vendors, all of whom produce their goods in the Bay Area, have the environment in mind and holiday humor to spare. And remember, shopping at locally owned businesses means you'll keep your bucks circulating in the community.
-- San Francisco Bay Guardian, December 7, 2005