Local Matters Reports 2022 Spotlight on Service Providers

Love Live Local once again​ ​partnered with Civic Economics, to​ ​​produce this 2022 report underwritten by The Cooperative​ ​Bank of Cape Cod and the Horizon​ ​Foundation. The third report in our​ ​Local Matters series represents a novel​ ​addition to Civic Economics’ long-running Indie Impact Study Series - for​ ​the first time the research focused ​not on retailers and restaurants but​ ​instead on business and personal​ ​service providers and quantifying and​ ​assessing their impact on Cape Cod​ ​local economy.

With this study, Love Live Local expanded the “shop local conversation” to include business and personal service providers, alongside their retail and restaurant local business counterparts, since they too face challenges due to the proliferation of national chains and e-commerce giants. Local accountants and bookkeepers, printers, and information technology providers face competition from big box chains as well as online services. Fitness centers face national corporate competitors and a growing online marketplace that was intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Local veterinary practices, dentist offices, real estate outfits and funeral homes are getting bought up by large corporations and private equity firms. And the local travel, legal, continuing education, and insurance sectors have all been negatively impacted by the rapid spread of online commerce.

With this study and its 2020 predecessor, Love Live Local and Civic Economics have painted a clear picture of the value of independent, locally owned retailers, restaurants, hotels and business and personal service providers in the distinctive local economy of Cape Cod and Barnstable County.