NEW YORK—Independent Retailer Month encourages consumers to shop local and celebrate indie retailers, creating more sustainable cities, towns and communities. Its organizers developed this “shop local” event that runs annually throughout July encouraging consumers to shop at independent retailers; highlighting their positive social and economic impact locally, nationally and globally. On the group’s website its team helps members around the country to encourage people to shop independent retail year-round and to use July as a time to celebrate the independent retailers that help build the country’s economy, creating more sustainable cities, towns and communities.

By engaging independent retailer associations, small business organizations and retail thought leaders the group aims to demonstrate the importance of shopping independent.

The site offers a range of downloadable resources that indies can use to share messages with customers.

 
 
There are also helpful statistics that can be shared with other local businesses and consumers that reinforce the role that indie businesses play in their community’s economies and culture.

Finally, the site also offers an “idea bank” for community and business leaders to use to tell the stories of their essential businesses to media and customers.