Local Communities Can't Afford the True Cost of Online Outdoor Power Equipment Sales

摘要

Online sales of outdoor power equipment may be on the rise, but brick-and-mortar businesses won't be the only ones who feel the pinch. As online retailers such as Amazon clench more and more of the retail market, local communities lose out on important reinvestment. In other words, the effects of online outdoor power equipment sales go far beyond the home and garden industry. A new study recently shed light on the true cost of online outdoor power equipment sales (see page 37). The "2018 Home Sweet Home: Locals vs. Amazon" study was conducted by Civic Economics with support from the North American Retail Hardware Association, the Paint and Decorating Retailers Association and Independent We Stand, a Stihl-sponsored cause marketing campaign that supports small and local businesses. The study revealed that independent hardware and home improvement stores - including outdoor power equipment dealers - recirculate 676 percent more of their revenues than online retailers such as Amazon. Specifically, independent retailers reinvest more than 30 percent of their revenues in their local economies through labor, procurement, profits and charitable giving. Meanwhile, online retailers reinvest just 3.9 percent of their revenues.