Be green & penny-wise! Buy from businesses owned and managed by people who live in and care about YOUR community.
- 6 cents of every dollar spent with a BIG BOX RETAILER is retained/re-circulated in a community.
- Source: Rocky Mountain Institute
- 20 cents of every dollar spent with a CHAIN STORE is retained/re-circulated in a community.
- Source: Small Business Administration
- 60 cents of every dollar spent with a SOLE PROPRIETOR/INDEPENDENT RETAILER is retained/re-circulated in a community.
- Source: Small Business Administration
- A dollar spent at a locally-owned store is usually spent 6 to 15 times before it leaves the community. From $1, you create $5 to $14 in value within the community.
Source: Northwest Earth Institute's Choices for Sustainable Living
How does Davis benefit when you make the choice to spend a dollar Downtown instead of at other retailers?
- Creation of more local jobs – small businesses provide the lion’s share of all jobs in the U.S. Ensuring the success of small independent retailers in Davis means they keep hiring local residents.
- Local businesses buy more of their own goods and services locally – a successful Downtown business is more likely to choose an architect with a Downtown office to expand or re-model the store. The architect’s work later results in the purchase of building materials from a Downtown supplier, who then turns to a Downtown-based accountant for financial advice, and so on. Additionally, local purchases create less environmental impact, since buyers travel a shorter distance to make a transaction, and the goods themselves tend to have made a far shorter journey to come to market.
- Smaller businesses give-back to the community more often – some studies suggest that small, local businesses collectively donate as much as 250% more to local non-profits and schools than larger businesses. While donation statistics are not maintained uniformly for Downtown Davis, the businesses are well-known for their support of important community initiatives, such as 2008’s Schoolapalooza to benefit Davis schools, and tens of thousands of dollars annually in small donations to non-profit silent auctions and other fundraising efforts essential to organizations that serve the people of Davis.
- Increased sales tax revenue, less public burden – according to many local business associations in the U.S., the overall effect of a thriving, locally-based business community is an estimated sales tax revenue generation that is four-times greater than that of businesses based outside of town. This is in part due to a reduced use of public services by small businesses, such as police, fire, sewer, etc. As a result, more tax dollars remain available to local government to support the public safety, recreational and educational needs of Davisites.
Perhaps more important than any study or statistic, however, is how much fun it can be to experience the variety and attentive service that Downtown Davis businesses tend to offer shoppers in exchange for a dollar. Locally-based shopping expands the possibilities of what kinds of goods and services might meet your needs, and provides a tangible way for Davis residents to take charge of their own economic destiny.
