Happy Fourth of July! We’d like to take this time to wish you all a happy holiday but also to encourage you to shop local this weekend. The Fourth of July is all about community, whether it be supporting your country with patriotic regalia and events or gathering your closest family and friends for a BBQ. Don’t allow this sense of community to dissipate after the last fireworks have been lit; extend it into the weekend by supporting your favorite area businesses and shopping locally. Below are just a few statistics about the local movement from Independent We Stand.

• 75% of all new jobs are created by small businesses
• If you were to spend $100 at independently owned businesses, $68 would be returned to the local community, compared to only $43 if you spent it at a national chain
• Each square foot occupied by a local company contributes $179 to the local economy, whereas each square foot occupied by a chain store only contributes $105
• Over half of the non-farm private GDP is created by small businesses

These are just a few statistics regarding the “shop local” movement, but we have two even better reasons to support your local businesses this holiday weekend: the chance to cultivate a sense of pride in your community and the quality products and services you get when you shop local.

Happy Fourth of July from all of us here at TTG and Happy Shopping!