The benefits that megastores and huge corporations supposedly deliver to communities are illusory. Michael Shuman proves that locally owned businesses are much more reliable generators of good jobs, economic growth, tax dollars, charitable contributions, social stability, and political participation. Unlike their global competitors, they don’t demand massive tax breaks and subsidies that often put local economies in a permanent hole. And contrary to popular belief, local businesses are competitive with multinationals—and gaining ground every day. Shuman highlights numerous trends that are making the old “bigger is better” economies-of-scale argument obsolete, and he describes the innovative strategies local businesses are using to beat their oversized rivals. He also shows how consumers, investors, and policymakers can support their own communities by “going local.” The Small-Mart Revolution offers a robust alternative that nurtures the creative capacities of local businesses and enables communities everywhere to thrive.

“Shuman’s fun-to-read prose ignites us with the startling facts and the confidence surge we need to recreate locally owned, community-nourishing economies.”

—Frances Moore Lappé, author of Democracy’s Edge