Certified Indie Campaign

Thank YOU for choosing a CERTIFIED INDIE. We know you have many options for where to spend your dollars–your choice to support your local indie matters. You’ll find citations below for why choosing a Certified Indie is choosing your community.

Studies across the United States and abroad prove that spending your well earned money at Small Local Businesses positively affects your life and community in a multitude of ways!  

1. Every dollar you spend at your Certified Indie recirculates 2-4 times more within YOUR COMMUNITY than it would at another bookstore. Local independent businesses recirculate a greater share of every dollar into their local economy versus national chains or large online conglomerates. 

American Independent Business Alliance website:  The Local Multiplier Effect.

2. A Certified Indie knows that PEOPLE make the difference, and those people are YOUR NEIGHBORS!

   1. Locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales. 

   2. In times of high unemployment, small businesses both retain and create more jobs. This study shows during economic downturns locally owned businesses retain more employees, while big-box retailers decrease the number of retail jobs in a region.

3. Your bookstore is GUARANTEED to be owned by a member of YOUR COMMUNITY!

   1. Locally owned businesses are linked to higher income growth and lower levels of poverty, while big-box retailers depress wages and benefits for retail employees.

   2. Big-box retailers have significant negative effects on the number and vitality of nearby local businesses. Contrary to the claims of big-box retailers, they do not serve as a catalyst for new growth and lead to a loss of existing businesses. 

4. Your books were selected with YOU in mind. A Certified Indie curates with LOCAL interest in mind, NOT national bestseller lists. What's on the shelves of your local Certified Indie reflects the needs, wants, and cultural values of your community–partly because community members did the selecting!