Press

Street Fight - October 25, 2012

Tweedie, a bike shop owner herself, states that a majority of an SMB’s livelihood comes from simply being there. The community gets to know you by passing the store and word of mouth. The new challenge is to make sure that the store’s online presence is up to par with Amazon, something most stores can’t do on their own. GatherLA and LittleIndependent are two examples of a new kind of activism — retailers themselves developing the shopping channels that their peers can use so they all can enhance their local visibility. Read Hyperlocal Retail Directories Go After 'Shop Local' Consumers.

Illinois Technology Association - September 18, 2012

What's the #1 thing on your To-Do list?
We define success by three things: More stores. More shoppers. More traffic. The number one thing is spreading the word which we do via social media, word of mouth and press mentions. Read ITA Spotlight: Little Independent.

Examiner.com - July 1, 2012

Little Independent is featured in this story about Independent Retailer Month! "'The Shop Local campaign began in 2003 as 'National Independent Retailer Week', by 2009 the week-long, city-wide, shopping extravaganza took place in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and New Jersey. In July 2011, the campaign expanded from one week to an entire month and became global including the United Kingdom, this year Canada will also be participating." Read July is Independent Retailer Month.

Yahoo! News - May 30, 2012

"'We really wanted to site to work for a range of stores. The main idea is to allow retailers to shine a spotlight on slow-turning merchandise and sell it more quickly,' says Tweedie.

Retailers are pleased with the site. 'Thanks so much for putting together Little Independent! Think it's a great concept, and I hope to see it grow and grow,' said Linda Schmidt, owner of Owner, Cat and Mouse Game Store in Chicago. " Read With 75 Stores in 18 States, Little Independent, An E-Commerce Startup for Independent Retail Marks its One Year Anniversary.

SF Gate - April 27, 2012

"The first stores on the site, which launched June 2011, were all in the Chicago area but gradually stores in other parts of the country signed up. There is no cost to add a store and it only takes ten minutes or so. New stores all receive three free listings. With the addition of Eugenia Woods in St. Petersburg, FL there are now 75 stores and 255 items for sale." Read Chicago Based Start-Up Little Independent Welcomes its 75th Locally Owned Partner Store.

NBC 5 Chicago - April 5, 2012

"Let's say you run a store or business. I know, it's a stretch for a small-business blog reader. Anyway, things are going just fine overall but you have a couple of items you wish you could unload because your customers obviously aren't biting.

Until recently, your only options were eBay and Amazon, and maybe Etsy. And even though sites like Etsy are continually trying to improve their user experience, if you're a small-biz owner you don't really want to be nickel-and-dimed and leeched by the fees and time-suck that eBay and Amazon listings inevitably provide." Read Little Independent's Lesley Tweedie on Flipping Unwanted Store Items for Profit.

Yahoo! News - March 27, 2012

"The goal for attendees of the “Building Indie Alternatives to Amazon, et al” panel is to “Learn about some of the growing internet options for independent businesses to sell online through multi-business e-commerce sites and recapture some sales presently going to online mega-retailers.” " Read Little Independent to Present in Panel “Building Indie Alternatives to Amazon, et al” at the American Independent Business Alliance “Go Local, Grow Local” Conference.

The Next Web - February 2, 2012

"The online marketplace makes it incredibly easy to discover little, independent stores in your city that you might have otherwise overlooked. Some of the products and stores showcased on Little Independent are reminiscent of Etsy, but with the significant difference that these sellers have taken the plunge and invested in a brick and mortar store.

Little Independent is the perfect marriage between online and traditional commerce, and if it continues to grow, it has the potential to become an incredibly useful directory of indie stores around the US, and possibly, the world. " Read Little Independent: An Online Marketplace for Independent Brick-and-Mortar Stores.

The New York Times - January 16, 2012

"If you can’t shop close to home, at least shop small. 'Folks are exercising their desire to support local stores where local is not just in their town, but anywhere in the country,' said Michael Walden, a professor who studies regional economics at North Carolina State University. 'A large number of Americans have a general suspicion of bigness in the economic world — they equate bigness with power, monopoly.' " Read Online Shoppers Are Rooting for the Little Guy.

Gourmet Business - January 2012

"We are trying to create an online equivalent to a Main Street shopping experience, giving those locally-owned independent stores the opportunity to work together and amplify their voices. There is a community aspect among the retailers who belong to Little Independent." Read Virtual Main Street.

Chicago Tribune - December 11, 2011

"'I won't pretend to know Amazon's motives,' said Lesley Tweedie, co-owner of Chicago's Roscoe Village Bikes. 'I would like to think it's more about encouraging people to use their app and buy the stuff from them than it is about really trying to squash bricks-and-mortar retailers out of existence. But I'm not in the conference rooms when they make these decisions.'" Read Amazon promo brings bricks, mortar to retail debate.

All Things D - December 8, 2011

"'Brick-and-mortar retailers are asking consumers to “buy it where you try it” after Amazon disclosed it will be encouraging consumers to treat stores as showrooms through the use of a one-day promotion on Saturday.'" Read Retailers vs. Amazon: A Brick-and-Moral Dilemma.

Examiner.com - November 16, 2011

"'Drawing together a variety of merchandise from over 50 merchants, this site sells products that must be marked down at least 10% from their original price, offering customers great deals as well as a chance to make sure their dollars will be reinvested in the local community.'" Read Shop online at Little Independent for sale merchandise from local businesses.

Star Tribune | Travel - November 8, 2011

"'Check store websites for hours; some run on an 11 a.m.-7 p.m. schedule. Guidebooks and many online travel sites haven't kept up with the economy's effect on smaller shops, and several we planned to visit had closed. See www.littleindependent.com for more one-of-a-kind Chicago stores.'" Read Chicago shops: Where to find them.

eCommerceBytes - October 9, 2011

"'Little Independent has increased our visibility around the country,' says Eyler. 'We have seen an increase in orders on our website from California to New Jersey and many places in between, which is nice since we have taken a very local focus with our shop as far as SEO.'" Read Making Clicks and Bricks Work Together.

Bicycle Retailer - September 27, 2011

"E-commerce site Little Independent is seeking independent bike dealers that want to promote their stores and get discounted merchandise in front of a broader market of consumers." Read E-Commerce Site Courts IBDs.

Spirit Magazine - September 1, 2011

"According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the last two years have seen nearly half a million businesses of fewer than 100 employees go under. Across the country, once-bustling Main Streets are starting to look like the sets of old Westerns. With these sobering realities, many small business owners are ... dipping their toes into the Web’s waters to reach new customers. As a result, both established players on the Internet and startups have eagerly jumped in to help them." Read The Digital Storefront.

Down and Dirty Radio Show - August 10, 2011

Check out Little Independent founder Lesley Tweedie on Craftsman's Down and Dirty Radio Show with Frank Fontana. Watch it on YouTube.

Chicago Magazine - August 2, 2011

"Get ready for some competition, eBay and Amazon. Lesley Tweedie, owner of Roscoe Village Bikes, recently launched an online marketplace of sale-only items from independent boutiques. Appropriately named Little Independent, the site is dedicated to helping shop owners better market their hard-to-sell items." Read Local Boutiques Unite via New Online Shop

CBS MoneyWatch.com BNET - July 13, 2011

"Independent Retailer Month reminds people of the benefits of shopping local, and of exploring what's closest to home. It encourages communities to bring back the enjoyable, social side of retailing to support economic growth and community vibrancy." Read Little Independent Supports Independent Retailers Month

SF Gate - June 29, 2011

"Little Independent has been accessible to the public for one month. The website's public beta launch was on June 1st and already 23 independent, local retail stores have joined the site. The same varieties of stores that can be found on Main Street's throughout the country are featured on the site. The diverse mix of stores includes shoe stores, pet stores, bike stores, women's clothing boutiques, children's clothing stores and artisan gift stores." Read Internet Startup Focused on Independent, Local Retail Stores Celebrates a Milestone.

Crain's Chicago Business - June 20, 2011

"With all the deal-a-day web sites, 50% off is the new full price for consumers. That type of marketing tool works for certain businesses at a particular stage. But, Lesley Tweedie, the co-owner of Roscoe Village Bikes, an independent bicycle retailer in Chicago, thinks she has a better idea. ... As consumers value buying local in order to support the “neighborhood economy,” Lesley believes that consumers will make it a priority to buy from independent retailers." Read A new twist on the eBay, Groupon formula for indie retailers.

Beyond the Pedway - June 17, 2011

 "Helping Local Independent Shops Reach Wider Audiences." Watch the video interview.

The Business Beware Show - June 14, 2011

"One day Lesley took a look at all of the bikes sitting in her shop, thinking about how long they had been there, and the mark-downs they had done to make sales… when it hit her. She came up with a solution that would help her, as well as other independent store owners experiencing the same problems. Thus, Little Independent was born." Read Inspiration Through Independence.

Independent Retailer - June 12, 2011

"Store owners are also taking the challenge of increasing the awareness of independent retail and its effect on the community. According to the Northwest Earth Institute’s Choices for Sustainable Living, 'A dollar spent at a locally owned store is usually spent 6 to 15 times before it leaves the community.'" Read Independent Retailers Invited to Join Ecommerce Community.

Independent We Stand - June 10, 2011

"Alex and Lesley’s newest venture is an online marketplace for sale items from independent retail stores called Little Independent (littleindependent.com).  The website helps independent retailers reach new customers, increase visibility, and turn inventory faster.  Little Independent launched June 1, 2011 and will hopefully become a helpful hub between independent producers and consumers." Read Roscoe Village Bikes “Rides the Independent Roads”.

Crain's New in Chicago - June 6, 2011

“'The available listing websites where I could reach a wider audience had high fees and complicated setup processes. There was no inexpensive and simple-to-use online marketplace just for independent stores like mine.' So that’s just what she set out to create." Read about what's new in Chicago.