These studies document the positive economic impact of locally owned businesses, and how they contribute significantly more money to the local economy than do retail chains.

IndieBound is a socially-conscious movement in support of independent businesses and shopping locally, starting with indie bookstores. It’s about raising awareness, it’s about reaching out, and it’s about taking pride in your community. It's about what makes your hometown a more interesting place.

IndieBound brings together booksellers, readers, indie retailers, and local business alliances—anyone with a passionate belief that healthy local economies help communities thrive.

ABA maintains a consumer-directed site at http://www.indiebound.org. IndieBound.org includes an interactive map for locating nearby independent bookstores, bestsellers and other book recommendations, a complete book search with over 4.5 million books and eBooks, a competitive affiliate program for online linking, an iPhone app, and much more.

• A Declaration of Independents pamphlet - Stacy Mitchell, author of The Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses (Beacon), on the importance of supporting indies. Adapted from Mitchell's 2006 E.F. Schumacher lecture, the Declaration is designed to be printed on two sheets of paper, double-sided, to form an eight-page pamphlet. (pdf)
• The Big Box Toolkit: Countering Mega-Retailers - An online resource for citizens groups working to stop sprawling big-box development, change their community's land use and economic development policies, and expand locally owned businesses.
• The Indie Local First Reading List - A selection of informative titles on the importance of building and strengthening a vibrant local economy. This PDF file can be downloaded and posted in your store: it's a great way to showcase a variety of books that will educate and fascinate customers.
• Search for an IBA near you through AMIBA or BALLE.
• Startup Packet from the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) - A checklist for founding and launching an Independent Business Alliance.
• Local First Campaign Resources from the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) - BALLE is an alliance of businesspeople dedicated to building local living economies. View videos and other resources for Local First efforts.
• The New Rules Project - A program of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the New Rules Project started back in 1998 and continues to bring fresh new policy solutions to communities and states to ensure that they are "designing rules as if community matters".
• Bookselling This Week - Keep abreast of the growing shop local movement.