Main Street/Shop Local

November 26 is the second annual celebration of Small Business Saturday, a nationwide event promoting holiday shopping at small local retailers and patronage of locally owned restaurants and service providers.

This week, ABA unveils new indie-inspired poster and bag designs in the reorganized Bookseller DIY.

A new study prepared for American Express OPEN by Civic Economics has found that in neighborhoods with thriving independent businesses home values outperformed citywide markets by 50 percent over the last 14 years.

This year’s celebration of Small Business Saturday will take place on November 26, and to help indie retailers promote the event, American Express has created an array of promotional materials and is offering incentives for stores and consumers to participate.

ABA has entered into a new partnership with Civic Economics that will enable 10 communities with an active ABA member bookstore to work directly with Civic Economics at a reduced rate to create a customized study examining the economic benefits of local, independent retailers.

A consignment arrangement with small presses has enabled Farley’s Bookshop in New Hope, Pennsylvania, to build a deeper inventory selection that has grown customer interest and the store’s bottom line.

On Friday, July 29, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Main Street Fairness Act, federal sales tax fairness legislation that would authorize states under the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA) to require remote retailers to collect and remit sales tax in those states.

A national video production company based in Dickson, Tennessee, created an engaging “Shop Local” video, featuring many downtown businesses, including Reading Rock Books.

Booksellers in New Zealand can now subscribe to their own IndieBound marketing program, launched at Booksellers New Zealand’s 90^th Annual Conference on Sunday, July 17.

ABA is among 100 public and private organizations that have joined a coalition to promote the second annual Small Business Saturday℠, to be held on November 26.

The American Independent Business Alliance has an abundance of free resources available to local IBAs and businesses planning Independents Week celebrations, this year from July 1 - 7.

In March, Old Firehouse Books’ Jacqie Hasan told customers that the Fort Collins, Colorado, bookstore was having a “lean spring,” and she suggested a concrete way for customers to help. By the end of April, sales were up eight percent.

As part of ABA’s continuing commitment to fostering relationships among independent businesses of all kinds, CEO Oren Teicher will be part of a panel discussion during Independent’s Day at the National Hardware Show on Thursday, May 12, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sustain-a-Bull, the Local First organization launched last fall by The Regulator Bookshop’s Tom Campbell, has been steadily expanding.

Talking Leaves Books owner, and Buffalo First vice president, Jonathon Welch recently talked about the pros and cons of building an active Local First organization.