TODAY"S GARDEN CENTER MAGAZINE FEATURES HILLERMAN NURSERY

POSITIVE NEWS FOR INDEPENDANT GARDEN CENTERS!

Hillermann Nursery & Florist recieves recognition and is featured on cover of Today's Garden Center magazine! http://www.todaysgardencenter.com/pdf/tgc_cover_story200802.pdf

A recent survey of 1,382 independent retailers found that consumers’ desire to support independent, locally-owned businesses appears to be growing, Retail Merchandiser reports. Retailers in all 50 states were included in the survey, which found that "even in a difficult economic climate, many independent retailers are holding their own and even seeing sales gains by emphasizing their local ownership and community roots," the story says. Locally-owned retailers in cities with Buy Local campaigns saw bigger increases in holiday sales compared with those without campaigns. The study also found that 82 percent of those surveyed believe the fact that they’re locally-owned matters to customers. "We’re seeing the beginnings of a shift in people’s shopping choices, particularly in places where ‘buy local’ campaigns have brought this to the forefront of public consciousness," says Stacy Mitchell, author of "Big-Box Swindle" and senior researcher for the Institute For Local Self-Reliance. "‘Locally-owned’ is following in the footsteps of ‘organic’ as people look for ways to support a more sustainable economy and revitalize their communities." The Independent Business Forum, a new network of organizations that represent independent businesses, conducted the survey. Read the full story here.