dedicated to supporting the
city’s creative community. It
is filled with baskets of one-of-a-kind crocheted scarves,
eclectic pocketbooks sewn
from busy plaids, and furniture covered in hand-painted
ivy. Co-owner Lauren Parker
says she and her partner
opened the gallery in 2006,
after working for years in
the fashion industry. “We
watched as all of our production migrated from local sewing shops in Philadelphia to
sweatshops overseas,” Parker
says. “We knew we had to get
out of the industry.”
coalitions bring together small, locally
owned businesses committed to being
both sustainable and profitable. These
business owners care about more than
just old-school environmentalism.
They are generally committed to economic justice and attempt to source
products locally. Sustainable businesses must be independently and locally
owned, and they attempt to provide
the goods and services most needed to
transform their communities.
Some BALLE members run educational programs for mom-and-pop businesses
interested in greening their operations.
Others compile directories for consumers
who prefer patronizing businesses guided
by this philosophy. Many networks spearhead Buy Local campaigns.
“In the past four years, our membership has exploded,” Rick says.
A survey found
that independent
retailers are
holding their own
by stressing local
ownership.
As Americans spend more time staring
at computer screens and isolated in their
cars, people are seeking out opportunities to reconnect—whether by buying
a handmade bracelet from a local artist
or by depositing paychecks in independently owned banks.
That’s what draws shoppers to the
Mew Gallery, a South Philly exhibit space
Bottom-Line Basics
At the moment, anecdotes
about the benefits of sustainable business practices are
easier to find than statistics.
But a handful of studies do
attempt to quantify the trend.
A survey conducted by the
Independent Business Forum
found that, even in a rocky
economy, independent retailers are holding their own by
stressing local ownership and
community roots. The study,
which included retailers in
all 50 states and Washington,
D.C., found that independent
retailers in cities with active
Buy Local campaigns reported
a 2 percent boost in holiday sales, on
average, compared with a . 5 percent
increase experienced by stores in cities
without such campaigns.
A 2007 study commissioned by
the San Francisco Locally Owned
Merchant Alliance attempted to measure the ripple effect of local retailers
and their chain competition on that
city’s economy. Researchers concluded
that local stores and restaurants return
significantly more cash to the community because they strive to buy supplies and services nearby. Specifically,
locally owned bookstores create about
2. 14 local jobs for every $1 million of
books sold. These positions are created
directly, through their own hiring, as
well as indirectly, through hiring on the
part of their vendors and service providers. By contrast, chain stores create
