Holiday Survey of Indie Businesses Garners Widespread Media Attention

January 28, 2010
A recent national survey indicating that more shoppers deliberately sought out locally owned businesses during the 2009 holiday season has drawn media coverage ranging from Florida to California.

Holiday Survey Shows Sales Increase for Indie Business and Positive Effect of Buy Local Campaigns

January 14, 2010
More holiday shoppers deliberately sought out locally owned businesses this year, according to a national survey of more than 1,800 independent businesses. The survey found that holiday sales for independent retailers were up an average of 2.2 percent. That contrasts with the Commerce Department figures released today, which show that overall retail sales were down 0.3 percent in December and up 1.8 percent in November.

AMIBA Offers "Buy Indie/Buy Local" Outreach Tools

December 17, 2009
The American Independent Business Alliance has a free holiday gift for local communities -- new outreach tools aimed at ramping up "Buy Indie/Buy Local" campaigns for the holidays -- or anytime. Among the offerings are a bag stuffer template and two posters/fliers spreading the pro-independent message. Each is ready to print on standard 8-1/2" x 11" paper.

Obama Administration to Launch Main Street Tour

November 23, 2009
Last week, the Obama Administration announced plans for a "White House to Main Street" tour that will take the president to cities and towns across the country over the next few months to speak with workers and share ideas for the nation's continued economic recovery. The president will kick off the tour in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Friday, December 4.

Becoming "Unchained" on November 21

October 08, 2009
The American Independent Business Alliance is urging consumers in communities across the country to "unchain themselves" and to shop at local independent businesses on Saturday, November 21, the sixth annual celebration of America Unchained! Day. To help retailers, business alliances, and trade associations promote the campaign, AMIBA offers a range of resources.

The Indie Local First Reading List

September 10, 2009
ABA's popular list of notable Local First titles has received a makeover. Updated for 2009, the Indie Local First Reading List has a new design, new titles, new indie bookseller recommendations, and links to local first resources. All of the recommended titles are great reads about making and keeping local communities vibrant.

Bookseller's "Unchain Yourself" Campaign on the Button

August 27, 2009
Murrie Zlotziver, owner of Page After Page in downtown Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, isn't sitting idly by waiting for a new Bucknell University Barnes & Noble College Store to impact his business. Zlotziver reacted to the May announcement of plans for a 29,000-square-foot store, scheduled to open in 2010 across the street from Page After Page, by a creating a Red Button marketing campaign, which has now grown to include 22 other local businesses.

Fun, New Video Urges, "Keep It Local, America!"

July 16, 2009
Tom Campbell and friends of The Regulator Bookshop in Durham, North Carolina, have created a campy, fun 1940s newsreel-style video with a serious message: Shopping local is green. The spot, "Just Around the Corner," uses archival and newly shot video to dramatize how a book shipped from an Internet retailer rather than bought at a local bookstore ups the carbon load in the environment significantly. "How much fuel is required to make up the difference?" asks the video narrator. "Too much, chum!"

A Callout for Local First Title Recommendations

July 15, 2009
In the coming weeks, ABA and IndieBound will be updating the selected reading list of local first titles, a compilation of informative titles on the importance of building and strengthening a vibrant local economy. To help ensure that the updated list is as current and informative as possible, the association is encouraging booksellers to send in their suggestions for titles to be included.

Indies Host a Week of Celebrations

July 09, 2009
Whether they hung a Declaration of Independents poster in the store window, sponsored a favorite indie bookstore contest on Twitter, or conducted a shopping challenge encompassing several towns, booksellers reported that this year's celebrations of Independents Week generated both goodwill and sales.

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