Independent Retailer Month – July 2024

History of Independent Retailer Month

Small businesses can be considered as one of the backbones of not only America’s economy, but the world economy at large, and according to Census Bureau and Small Business Administration, approximately 51% of the US workforce is employed by independent retailers.

We can trace the roots of small businesses back to the invention of the first currency in Ancient Greece. In that era, there would be markets in the city center where different merchants would be able to set up shops and display their products.

Modern independent retailers began with mom-and-pop stores in the 1700s. This was a slang term for family-owned businesses that were run in-house, small and independent. These stores were popular within that era and were mostly drug and general stores.

These stores laid the foundation for the establishment of departmental stores in the 19th century, shopping malls in the mid-20th century, and eventually big box stores in the late 20th century. The first of which was Walmart, established in Rogers, Arkansas.

Big box stores and e-commerce have now gained so much popularity that people tend to forget the importance of independent retailers that laid the initial groundwork. This is unfortunate as these stores often supply products and services that cannot commonly be found in big box stores. Crafts, customized products, special gifts, and souvenirs are some of the few examples attesting to this fact.

The principal of Profits Plus, Tom Shay, created National Independent Retailer Week which became the platform for this month-long celebration. Years after, Kerry Bannigan, co-founder of Nolcha, created a similar holiday, Independent Retail Week. The two came together shortly after to create Independent Retailer Month U.S.A., which was eventually expanded to the United Kingdom by Clare Rayner.