ABA Joins Indie Businesses in Important Post-Holiday Survey; Bookseller Participation Urged

Once again, the American Booksellers Association is partnering with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and a wide range of other indie business groups on a national post-holiday survey of independent businesses.

The short survey has two goals: to gauge how indie businesses are weathering the extremely challenging economic climate and to assess whether people are more aware and supportive of locally owned, independent businesses. Among the independent business groups participating are the American Independent Business Alliance, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, and other business trade associations.

ABA sent an e-mail to main store bookstore members on January 6 with more information and an online link to the completely confidential survey. The survey does not solicit the names of booksellers or of their businesses, and only aggregate data will be viewed and released. All individual responses are completely private, and it should take only a few minutes to complete the survey.

The deadline for responses is Tuesday, January 12.

Last year, more than 1,100 businesses responded to the survey, which found that independent businesses on average had outperformed chains, that public awareness of the importance of locally owned businesses was increasing in many regions, and that independent businesses in communities with strong Buy Local/Local First campaigns had a stronger holiday season than businesses in cities without such campaigns.

"We are extremely happy to be working again with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and these many other independent businesses and indie business trade associations," said Oren Teicher, ABA CEO, "because of the strong participation of booksellers and other businesses, the 2009 survey was both illuminating and very persuasive. The findings of that survey appeared in more than 100 media stories, and that widespread coverage helped bring further visibility to the the Shop Local movement. I strongly urge members to take a few moments to help make this confidential survey a success, and we thank them for their participation."

Booksellers with questions should e-mail Dan Cullen at [email protected].