$0.43
stays local per $1 at a national chain
The average household makes thousands of purchase decisions a year and barely sees the consequences of any of them. Here's what the research says happens when we pay attention.
This isn't about asking people to change. It's about meeting a change that's already underway — and giving it a tool.
A majority of U.S. consumers now factor a company's values and impact into where they shop — and they follow through at the register.
Brand trust and shared values increasingly outrank price and convenience for a large share of shoppers, especially younger ones.
The market for verified-sustainable goods is one of the fastest-growing categories in retail — and it's still early.
Independent businesses that can prove their community impact tend to out-grow faceless competitors — because shoppers reward what they can verify.
Money spent locally doesn't leave — it circulates. Each dollar gets re-spent on local wages, local suppliers, and local services before it finally exits the community.
That gap is the whole game. Shift even a small slice of your spending from "leaves immediately" to "circulates locally," and the compounding effect on your community is enormous — which is exactly what the one-dollar math shows.
in new annual community impact across the United States.
Most people would happily support fair wages and local jobs — they just can't tell which businesses actually deliver them. Visibility is the missing piece.
You make hundreds of purchases a year. Nudging even a fraction toward verified-local creates outsized impact — no budget change required.
Surveys can be ignored. Spending can't. When money moves toward values, businesses and markets follow — fast.