Free 2026 Industry Report · By Savvy Shopkeeper
Independent Retail Isn’t Dying.
It’s Misdiagnosed.
What U.S. Census data actually reveals about Independent Brick and Mortar Retail, and why the real story is more nuanced than the headlines.
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Sign up Below to For the Free DownloadThe narrative about retail dying is missing something important.
Headlines about store closures get clicks. But the actual data from the U.S. Census Bureau tells a more complicated and more hopeful story about independent retail.
This 25-page report analyzes 13 years of U.S. Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics data on retail employer establishments: when they enter the system, when they exit, and how their size shifts over time. It separates what the data actually shows from what the headlines assume it means.
The findings matter for every independent store owner trying to build something sustainable, and for every organization working to support them.
new retail employer businesses entered the system every single year from 2010 through 2023, including through a recession and a pandemic. That is not what a dying industry looks like.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS), NAICS 44-45, 2010-2023
“Independent retail is not dying. It is demanding. The distinction matters more than it might seem.”Kathy Cruz, Savvy Shopkeeper
Inside the report
What this report covers
What entry and exit actually show
Closures alone tell only part of the story. The report looks at both sides of the movement and reframes what the numbers are actually saying about the health of the industry.
Declining vs. dying
There is a real difference between those two words, and it matters. The report uses 13 years of federal data to show exactly where independent retail stands and what that comparison reveals.
The scale of independent retail
Most people underestimate how small the majority of retail businesses actually are. The Census data puts a number on it, and it helps explain why operating inside this industry feels the way it does.
The preparation gap
A Savvy Shopkeeper community survey of 139 store owners asked how prepared they were when they opened. The answers point to a pattern worth taking seriously.
The entry story that never updated
The operating environment for independent retail changed significantly over three decades. The assumptions most people bring to the decision to open a store did not keep pace.
A note for organizations
A section written directly for Main Street programs, SBDCs, downtown alliances, and other support organizations on what the data suggests and where it points.
Who this is for
Two audiences, one conversation
Independent store owners
If you own a boutique, gift shop, maker studio, home decor store, or any other independent brick-and-mortar retail business, this report gives you the clearest picture available of the industry you’re building in.
Organizations that support retail
Main Street programs, SBDCs, downtown alliances, chambers of commerce, and retail support organizations will find a section written directly for them, with implications for how to shape programming, outreach, and education.
About the author
Kathy Cruz has been in your corner since 2016.
Kathy Cruz is the Founder and CEO of Savvy Shopkeeper and host of the Savvy Shopkeeper Retail Podcast, a resource built specifically for independent brick-and-mortar store owners.
She created Savvy Shopkeeper because independent retailers, especially small ones, were being left out of the business education conversation. Since 2016, she’s helped thousands of store owners run smarter, more profitable businesses through her podcast, coaching, and membership community.
This report reflects her commitment to giving store owners and the organizations that serve them accurate, grounded information rather than recycled headlines.
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