Celebrating Independent Retailer Month
July is Independent Retailer Month, a time to celebrate independently owned businesses by shopping locally. Independent retailers are the backbone of our communities, providing jobs and unique treasures and services. According to a study by the American Independent Business Alliance, “For every $100 spent locally, at least $68 stays in the local economy. This means that each dollar spent at an independent business returns three times more money to the local economy compared to a dollar spent at a national chain.” By shopping locally, money is reinvested into our community.
At Fleetwood Bank, we deeply value the contributions of independent retailers and are proud to spotlight our esteemed partners, such as Firefly Bookstore. Read below our Q&A session with Firefly Bookstor’s Co-Owner, Matthew Williams.
Firefly Bookstore
Can you tell us the history of Firefly Bookstore?
Firefly Bookstore opened in 2012 at a 1000-sq/ft location at 230 West Main in Kutztown. We were able to purchase the building at 271 West Main in December of 2016, and reopened the new expanded store in March of 2017. We now have 3000 sq/ft of space on the main floor as well as event space, storage and offices on the 2nd floor. We have expanded to over 65,000 books, games and puzzles! We are very proud of our curated selection of material that includes large collections of fiction, children’s books, and titles on nearly every subject you can think of. Our game and puzzle section offers a wide variety of games for all ages and experiences. We are looking forward to celebrating our 12th anniversary this fall!
What are the services you offer?
We carry new and used books, games and puzzles. We also carry a wide selection of gifts and book-related material like socks, bags, puppets, kits, art materials, stationary, journals, and more. We also carry yearly calendars and planners, usually available starting in the fall for the following year. We can also search and order books we do not have in stock for our customers. We have an online site (www.fireflybookstore.com) that features our products for sale, to be shipped or picked up at the shop. We offer free local shipping too!
What does it mean to you be a local business?
We are very happy to be here in Kutztown. We prefer to live and work in the energy of a college town, with its diverse population who have an incredible range of interests. We believe in the idea of “Act Locally, Think Globally“. Our online sales allow us to reach customers all over the world, but we think of ourselves as a local business. We have customers from all over Eastern PA, but mostly the Berks and Lehigh counties.
What has your partnership with Fleetwood Bank been like?
We approached Fleetwood Bank in 2011 looking for a place for our personal banking. We wanted to stay local, and not depend on a big national or international bank. The selling and reselling of our bank really got to be tiresome! When we had the opportunity to buy our current building, we approached Fleetwood to look for a financial partner to secure the space. It was easy to work with our loan officer, and we got the offer we needed to finish the sale. We were really glad we stayed local for banking! We moved our business accounts to Fleetwood at that time.
“Banking locally means that we are able to maintain relationships with individuals that know our business, and we can work with them to keep our financial needs on track. Problems or questions get dealt with promptly and we know the person we are talking to. They are often customers of ours as well! We always prefer the personal touch, rather than the impersonal call-in line, dealing with someone in some other state or even another country, just to address something basic with our banking.”
“They provide a unique store in an electronic world where people can still get that book feeling. They always bring smiles when they come into the Kutztown Branch.” – Leah Ross, Kutztown Branch Manager
Independent retailers are essential for any community, driving economic growth and fostering a sense of identity. When you choose to shop locally, you’re ensuring that your hard-earned money stays within your community, bolstering local businesses and creating jobs. Check out Firefly’s Bookstore Facebook Page to learn more and support local.
