Hometown Peninsula’s mission is to support locally-owned, independent businesses on the peninsula, to maintain our unique community character, to educate citizens that purchasing locally creates community economic strength, and to bring back the vibrant hometown to our communities that is being displaced by national chains and online stores.

Locally owned businesses are important to the character, attractiveness and economic vitality of Menlo Park because, as studies have shown, when you spend $100 at an independent business, on average it creates $68 in additional local economic activity, while spending $100 at a chain produces only $43 worth of local impact.

The implications of how cities approach economic development are significant. Not only do big-box stores eliminate more retail jobs than they create but they reduce local economic activity and job creation in other sectors. Conversely, expanding local businesses generates substantially greater economic benefits.

When Menlo Park residents shop at a mega-retailer chain store or an online retailer most of our dollars leave the local economy. You may save a few cents, but the loss to our hometown results in local unemployment, higher taxes, and reduced services. By supporting locally-owned, independent businesses we, the residents of Menlo Park, can keep our dollars working for us as we enrich the local economy, increase the diversity of available products, provide better service and improve the quality of life for all of us.

Hometown Peninsula is a sponsor of ShopMenloPark.com

Source materials are available at Hometown Peninsula.org