Celebrate your independents

Shopping at local independent businesses has an enormous impact on the local economy, according to two new reports cited by the New Rules Project of the Minneapolis-based Institute for Local Self-Reliance. And shopping at corporate chain stores, as you'd guess, is a suckerpunch to hometown sustainability. Consider the math:

• When you spend $100 at the chain Borders Books & Music, your purchase creates only $13 worth of local economic activity. Spend $100 at a locally owned book or record store and you'll be putting $45 into local circulation--more than three times as much local economic activity. (From the study, "Economic Impact Analysis: A Case Study" conducted by Civic Economics)

•Big box retailers actually drain public coffers, while independent businesses generate more tax revenue than it costs to service them.

The Wal-Marts of the world generate a net annual deficit of $468 per 1,000 square feet. Shopping centers produce an annual drain of $314 per 1,000 square feet. And, worse still, fast-food restaurants have a net annual cost of $5,168 per 1,000 square feet. To be clear, these chains cost taxpayers more than they produce in revenue.

In contrast, specialty retail, a category that includes small-scale Main Street businesses, has a positive impact on pubic revenue. Specialty retail produces a net annual return of $326 per 1,000 square feet. (From a study by Tischler & Associates)

(Thanks, Pete.)