Why Shop Local?

Businesses like Cranesbill Books in Chelsea, Michigan are members the local community and give back in more ways than just selling a great selection of books, music and toys.

For every $100 a consumer spends, local businesses give back $68 to their local economy. Chain stores give back only $43*

Consumer Quiz

Q: How many in-store author appearances did Amazon stage in your town last year?

A: Zero. (Local booksellers hosted over 2,000)

Q: How many people did Amazon employ in your town last year?

A: Zero. (Local booksellers employed over 1,600 local people)

Q: How much did Amazon donate to your local community last year?

A: Zero. (Local booksellers donated over $50,000 to their local community organizations)

Q: How much did Amazon collect in sales tax and pay to support our local schools, social services and public agencies last year?

A: Zero. (Local booksellers paid over $6 million in taxes which helped support schools, social services, and public agencies)

NOTE: 'Local booksellers' refers to Great Lakes Bookseller Association members.

Source: www.books-glba.org, based on the Andersonville Study by the Civic Economics Group in 2004.