Local Matters Reports 2020 Measuring Impact Report

The primary purpose of this study from Civic Economics – which was commissioned by Love Live Local with help from our Mission Supporters: Cape Cod Five, Mid-Cape Home Centers, Nauset Disposal, Cape Cod Young Professionals and Duffy Health Center – was to quantify and assess the impact of Cape Cod’s locally owned businesses on our local economy, as compared to national chains and online corporations.

For the purpose of this study local and independent business was defined as a privately held business headquartered on Cape Cod whose owners control all the financial and business decisions.The focus for this particular data analysis was on retail and restaurants, along with hotels as the hospitality industry is the heart of Cape Cod’s economy.

The Civic Economics analysis found that local retailers and restaurants keep about 2-4 times as much money in the local economy as their national chain competitors, and that online retailers return virtually $0 to local communities. These findings are consistent with similar studies conducted in other states and can vary by business type.

Bottom line: dollars spent at locally owned businesses generate more local prosperity and shifting any amount of consumer spending to locally owned businesses results in increased economic activity and stronger economic sustainability.