Santa Rosa, California-based Oliver’s Market has released findings from an updated economic impact study, underscoring the value of supporting local businesses and workers by shopping locally.
The report, “Supporting Local Businesses and Workers: Economic Impacts of Oliver’s Market,” is the fourth in a series conducted by Dr. Robert Eyler, business consultant and professor of economics at Sonoma State University. Previous reports were published in 2011, 2016 and 2020. The new research, based on 2024 data, shows Oliver’s Market continues to create stronger local economic impacts than non-local grocers and retailers of comparable size.
Key findings include:
- Higher local economic impacts: By sourcing from local vendors, hiring locally and being locally owned, Oliver’s Market generates larger economic benefits throughout Sonoma County compared with competitors that rely more heavily on outside suppliers.
- Greater circulation of dollars locally: Oliver’s creates over 41 percent more local business revenue impacts than a non-local retailer. For every $100 spent at Oliver’s, $185 in economic activity is generated within the Sonoma County economy.
- Stronger support for local producers: In 2024, 32.3 percent of Oliver’s cost of goods sold came from local producers, more than double the 15.2 percent statewide average reported by grocers. By contrast, if no items in a shopper’s basket are locally sourced at a national chain, only $53 of that $100 purchase continues to circulate locally – compared with Oliver’s $185.
“At Oliver’s, we are passionate about the economic power of shopping locally for locally made products and the resulting benefits we all enjoy when more of our money stays in our county, funding local services and jobs,” said Scott Gross, general manager, Oliver’s Markets. “The data shown in Dr. Eyler’s study identifies tangible evidence that the benefits of shopping local are real. It is also gratifying to see how the ‘ripples’ made by these choices have grown in impact since the original study.”
The full report is available at www.oliversmarket.com/partner.
About Oliver’s Market
Founded in 1988, Oliver’s Market is a 100-percent employee-owned, independent grocer with four Sonoma County, California, locations – in Santa Rosa (2), Cotati and Windsor. Offering natural, conventional and specialty products, Oliver’s is committed to community partnerships with hundreds of local farmers and producers. The grocer carries more than 6,000 locally produced products, representing 32.3 percent of annual sales.
Oliver’s was a founding member of Sonoma County GO LOCAL in 2009, earned Green Business Certification in 2011, and became both an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) company and Social Purpose Corporation in 2017.
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