Did you know that July is the month where we celebrate and applaud Independent Retailers? If you have been following me, you know that independent retailers are near and dear to my heart. They truly are the cornerstone of our communities; these local businesses are often composed of families for generations that are committed to the town, its people and its services.

My family went up to the Catskills this past July 4th weekend for the holiday; and, the number of independent retailers that anchor that town is admirable. From the local coffee shop (no Starbucks in town and while I like Starbucks, I loved the locally owned coffee shop). Our coffees were made without the hustle and bustle. The owner paid close attention to all of the details; and then down the road of course is the Woodstock, New York local hardware store; not to mention the cupcake shop which was voted “best cake” by the FoodTV network.

It goes without saying that independent retailers give to our communities and drive our economic prosperity. The Census Bureau and Small Business Administration claim that independent retailers employ 51% of the US workforce. That is truly substantial.

When you go beyond the economic contributions; you can surely look at the social contributions too. While I do not know the number, rest assured I am confident that independent retailers probably contribute a much higher number than the 51% to local community programs and sports teams. In addition, the Independent We Stand organization reported that for every $100.00 you spend at a local independent retailer $68.00 stays right there in that community versus $43.00 that you would spend with a big box chain store! Your money goes back to work in your community; you can’t beat that! Here is a list of what happens when you shop local from Independent We Stand.

My town is missing an independent hardware retailer. I previously wrote an entire blog about it; and, while we have an independent paint retailer and a big box, I do feel like a hardware store would thrive in my area. Luckily, someone noticed and we recently had an Aubuchon Hardware open a store in nearby Monroe, Connecticut. It is nice to have a true independent, family-owned hardware store to shop nearby.

Another area that independent retailers thrive and local citizens’ count on them include specialty retailers like bakeries, gift shops and nurseries. I am so thankful of the region we live in because there are so many independent farmers too. They sell fresh homemade baked goods, ice cream, hand-picked strawberries, pumpkins and Christmas trees. All of these independents are mostly family-owned businesses who know that the shoppers are their family, friends and neighbors and it is a great shopping experience to be treated as such.

So, as we celebrate and recognized independent retailers in this month of July and every July – please celebrate them all year-long by shopping their stores, getting to know them and investing in them because they are our family, friends and neighbors.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis is an entrepreneur and founder of Jarvis Consultants, LLC, a marketing, events and branding firm that helps businesses create innovative approaches to navigate the world of marketing. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 25 years and is the founder of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. Follow Sonya on Twitter @jarvisconsult and @eretailersummit or contact her directly at sonya@jarvisconsultants.com. She is also a book author and her books can be found on AMAZON.