Where does WA state rank for shopping at small businesses?
For the last several years, Amazon has dominated retail on many levels and has really put pressure on smaller businesspeople who have to try to compete.
If you live in a smaller size community, making an effort to shop locally is not just good for your local retailers, but also your community and you in general.
According to Joinhomebase.com,
‘Small businesses do more than give people a place to grab coffee, browse a bookstore, or pick up a last-minute gift. They help shape the feel of a neighborhood, create local jobs, and keep money circulating in the communities they serve. But not every state makes it equally easy for consumers to shop at small businesses.’
To create the information for this study, Homebase used a combination of their internal data plus data from the US Census Bureau and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. They created 12 ranking metrics including “worker stability, staffing, wages, and small business density”. “The goal was to identify the states where consumers have the strongest access to local small businesses and where those businesses show the clearest signs of growth, resilience, and day-to-day momentum.”
Where does Washington rank?
The study revealed that Washington state overall ranked #12 in the country. But there were some metrics where Washington scored even higher.
The best state for “shopping small” was New York with an aggregate score of 70.31.
California ranked number 2 with an aggregate score of 64.92.
New Jersey ranked #3 with an aggregate score of 64.76.
The state with the lowest score in this ranking was New Mexico with an aggregate score of 26.10.
But there's another important number to look at.
One statistic that should never be overlooked is the percentage of small businesses opening compared to the percentage of small businesses closing. The success of new businesses can be a barometer of how successful “shopping small” is in a particular state.
Here is what the numbers tell us.
The states with the largest year-over-year net increases in small business establishments. The percentages indicate how much small business openings are outpacing small business closures. These numbers show states where small businesses are not just accessible but are growing at a steady rate.
California — 6.05%
West Virginia — 5.43%
Washington — 5.02%
Arizona — 4.16%
Nevada — 3.35%
North Carolina — 3.13%
Strong small business growth contributes to a strong local economy and job opportunities.
Sometimes it's hard to shop locally, especially if you're looking for a niche product. But when you can, it always pays to shop locally.
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