Thursday, January 27, 2011

Durham Metro Ranks 314th In “Indie” Share

Sustain A Bull has its work cut out.

Typically ranked at or near the top in nearly all rankings of metros or cities, the four-county metro area centered around Durham, North Carolina ranks a dismal 314th out of 363 metro areas in the nation when it comes to the proportion of retail activity captured by independent businesses.Capture

Mislabeled a “city” ranking, the “Indie” analysis actually studies official metropolitan statistical areas.  Raleigh-Cary, the closest metro geographically to the Durham NC MSA ranks 269h.   Asheville NC at 53rd is the highest ranking metro in the state.

Valuable to the communities in the Durham metro area, the “Indie Index” identifies 36 metro areas that far surpass others in the proportion of independent retail sales.  The report also breaks metro areas out into cohorts.

One of the benefits of scientific rankings and Durham’s status as a separate and distinct metro area is the ability to examine areas for improvement and best practice counterparts.

For other resources on the importance of independent retail, visit the New Rules Project.

For reasons to shop and ways to support local Durham independent retail, click on Sustain A Bull - Shop Independent Durham.

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