This month marks 5 years since Bricks Need Mortar conducted our very first survey reflecting the health of Portland’s brick and mortar small business community. We invite you to review past surveys here.
This report captures respondents’ experiences and realities operating small brick and mortar businesses in 2024 and expectations, changes and needs going into 2025.
Please note the following take aways:
Commercial lease rates and NNN vary widely and are key factors in the success and sustainability of small businesses
Although still high, crime continues to trend downward
In store sales continue to significantly out perform online sales
Economic policy and weakening consumer confidence are great concerns that require immediate action
Community collaboration remains a key to the survival and success of our small businesses and economy
Bricks Need Mortar collects and shares this information to:
Ensure that small businesses understand where they stand in line with peers
Provide insight to policy makers to work together to foster an environment where small businesses, the economic engine of our city and state, can thrive
Please support this essential work. Become a Member Today!
Bricks Need Mortar went into the 2024 Win Big campaign with new strategies to address the unique challenges of conducting business in an election year. As election years can signal uncertainty, sales can be stagnant and even dip.
We saw an opportunity to highlight the value of small businesses reminding Portlanders that small businesses offer inspiration and comfort and can be a place for refuge and camaraderie post-election.
We worked with The Mayor’s office to officially proclaim the 2nd week of November “Independent + Small Shop Week” partnering with retailers like Powell’s Books to amplify the importance of shopping, small, indie and local.
We added a new element – small shop trading cards to increase a pride in Portland, highlight individual businesses and create a fun new way to cheerlead our small businesses.
Even in a year where we saw a significant decrease in public and sponsorship funding, this approach paid off. This year’s Win Big campaign saw an increase in participation and significant coverage, more than doubling the media coverage over the previous year.
We are grateful to all those sponsors and partners who supported this year’s Win Big campaign and all the customers who showed up for Portland’s small businesses in 2024!
Of the past 5 years, in many ways 2024 was the most challenging for our small businesses. For many small businesses cash flow was highly erratic and unpredictable and runways exhausted. With limited bandwidth, small businesses continued to innovate and operate with limited resources and with little assistance while costs of labor, real estate, inventory and raw materials soared.
Our purpose at Bricks Need Mortar is to facilitate and support collaboration and innovation amongst brick and mortar small businesses. We work to raise the visibility of each participating business and this community as a whole, through advocacy with policy makers, in partnership with other organizations and community organizations and directly to consumers with marketing. We work to forge a community of practice by facilitating connection through our Shop Talks and through engagement in numerous forums to ensure that the brick and mortar small businesses that make Portland inspiring are seen, heard and represented.
Below are key efforts and accomplishments where Bricks Need Mortar served this community.
Collaboration with Travel Portland For our May 2024 Shop Talk, we worked with Travel Portland to conduct their first ever retail focused Pulse Check, where we heard from Travel Portland CMO Greg Newland on their efforts to drive tourism and foot traffic. Importantly, Travel Portland listened to and acted on the needs of the small businesses, resulting in updated marketing materials and social strategy.
Retail Shop Tours From the Travel Portland Pulse Check, we worked with Travel Portland and Pacific NW Experience to organize and deliver familiarization tours. In August we worked with Travel Portland Visitor Center to bring their staff, Downtown sidewalk ambassadors and concierges on a tour of NW 23rd Ave Bricks Need Mortar member retailers. In October we worked with PNW Experience to bring tour operators and other visitor facing professionals on a tour of Bricks Need Mortar member retailers on Mississippi Ave. We are planning on more tours in 2025.
Lobbying for Small Business Support for Extreme Weather Events After the devastating early 2024 winter storms that shut down businesses, we set to work to find relief for small businesses. We worked with Oregon Rep Nosse and Portland Office of Government Relations on LC 1946 for UI for extreme weather events! This is a massive accomplishment initiated by Bricks Need Mortar. And we just received word that this has now been submitted in time for pre-session filing and is now now HB 2125. We will be working with Rep Nosse and Portland’s Government Office of Government Relations to get this much needed relief for small businesses and their employees who are impacted by extreme weather events. We will continue to work on this bill through 2025.
Independent + Small Shops ProclamationWe submitted the Independent + Small Shops Proclamation and worked with Mayor Wheeler’s office to sponsor this effort. This was strategically designed to create visibility for our small businesses and reminding individuals that small businesses provide community, inspiration, comfort and connection post election and well in advance of the holiday shopping season. The Proclamation was announced with a press conference with Mayor Wheeler and several community small business owners, who shared their passion and commitment to Portland. This was well attended and received significant news coverage from OPB, PBJ and local news outlets.
Hosted and Facilitated Community Session with Commissioner Carmen Rubio With persistent engagement with Commissioner Rubio’s office, we organized a Shop Talk listening session, with the Commissioner tasked with overseeing Prosper Portland, Venture Portland and support of small businesses. Commissioner Rubio, a front runner for Mayor, sat through a meeting that went overtime to hear every single attendee share their concerns, needs and hopes for the year ahead.
Facilitated small business support from PEMO We worked to provide support for disenfranchised small businesses in the SW end of downtown, who were experiencing significant and reoccurring crime and dangerous activities. We facilitated and convened meetings with PEMO to ensure these businesses were seen, heard and for their safety and livability needs to be immediately addressed.
Conducting 5 Years of We Are Here We have conducted 5 years of surveys to provide small businesses with peer data and use that data to advocate for you in pursuit of public policy and healthy environment essential to the success of your business. Our next survey will be out soon. Make sure your voice is heard.
Actively Engaged in Stakeholder Groups Bricks Need Mortar has engaged in nearly every stakeholder group tasked with addressing Portland’s economic recover. It was important to us to ensure that brick and mortar and retail enterprises are included and prioritized in Recovery and Economic Development efforts from Reimagine Portland to Governor Kotek’s Task Force Visioning Group.
Provided Professional Marketing Education Session Bricks Need Mortar responds to the needs of small businesses by identifying experienced professional service providers and hiring them to conduct learning sessions like the Small Business Marketing Best Practices session with Ryan Haskins. We continue to build our roster of experienced and knowledgeable professional service providers and provide you with high value learning opportunities.
Fostering a Community of Collaboration There is only so far that we can go alone but together we can go far. It is this philosophy that drives us to lift this entire community as a whole. This year we partnered with Powell’s Books to drive their thousands of customers to visit other small businesses during the holiday season. We came together as a community to support Portland Center Stage, donating 10% of membership to this essential arts organization, sponsoring the Liberace & Liza production and providing Bricks Need Mortar members and all of their employees with free tickets to every 24-25 PCS Season production.
These are just our top 10 Accomplishments for 2024 We look forward to returning in the New Year to work together to make Portland a place where your business and this community can thrive.
Whereas, small businesses are the economic engine of the City of Portland, employing approx 255,294 people and have a payroll of about $2.1 billion, thus supporting the livelihoods of thousands of residents and strengthening the local economy and generating significant economic activity, thereby driving growth and stability in our local economy; and
Whereas, independent small businesses inspire us with their entrepreneurial spirit and creativity, fostering innovation and adding unique character to our city, with over 43,000 small businesses, which is 95% of all businesses operating in Portland, each contributing to our vibrant and diverse community; and
Whereas, small businesses play a crucial role in creating and nurturing community connections, where Portland’s small business owners are actively involved in local events and charities, enhancing the social fabric of our neighborhoods; and
Whereas, independent small businesses demonstrate a deep commitment to Portland and its residents, with small business owners sharing the love for our fair city with a strong sense of pride in supporting their local community and contributing to the city’s cultural and economic well-being; and
Whereas, small businesses encourage intentional shopping and thoughtful consumption by offering locally-made and unique products, reducing environmental impact and supporting a sustainable and greener economy; and
Whereas, small businesses provide an unmatched shopping experience characterized by personalized service, distinctive products, and an exceptional shopping experience unmatched by online or big box shops; and
Whereas, small businesses have the remarkable ability to make us smile, creating welcoming and enjoyable environments that enhance the overall quality of life; and
Whereas, small businesses inspire us with their creativity, dedication, and resilience, enriching our city with unique products and services that reflect the diverse character of Portland and foster a culture of inclusivity and variety; and
Whereas, small businesses drive prosperity and economic growth by reinvesting in the community, with 65% of every dollar spent at a local small business staying within the city, creating a cycle of economic benefit that supports further development and success; and
Whereas, small businesses show up day in and day out to provide goods and services that we need in our everyday lives and to signify important milestones in our lives; and
Whereas, independent small shops have meaning well beyond commerce, creating community, culture and Portland’s unique brand as a destination for creativity, passion and inspiration for residents and visitors alike.
Now, therefore, I, Ted Wheeler, Mayor of the City of Portland, Oregon, the “City of Roses,” do hereby proclaim November 10th through 16th, 2024, to be Independent and Small Shop Week in Portland and I encourage all residents to celebrate and support our local small businesses, recognizing their vital contributions to our community and enjoying the unique and enriching experiences they provide.
As we come out of an uncertain year the one certainty is that the path to fully reopening The We Are Here 2023 survey explores employment, crime, revenue, solutions and needs for reporting Portland brick and mortar small businesses. Businesses include restaurant, retail and service sectors.
As we enter a new year with new challenges, it’s important to make note of our accomplishments and how we can build upon them to make the greatest and most meaningful impact moving forward.
Bricks Need Mortar was born from the pandemic to bring our small businesses together in community over competition, to increase visibility and be seen by both, policy makers and customers. We advocate for smart policy and much needed supports for this community, the backbone of our economy.
As a support organization Bricks Need Mortar’s mission is to provide wrap-around support for your small businesses beginning with increased visibility to your small businesses. It can be easy to overlook our accomplishments as our focus is on you. Wrapping up another difficult year, we take note of our achievements to build upon them and best serve you as we continue to forge forward in 2022.
1.- Launching Shop Talks – As we emerged from years of pandemic restrictions, the desire for in person connection directed us to convert some of our monthly programming to in person meetings. Shop Talk is designed to bring our brick and mortar small businesses together to discuss common concerns, challenges and opportunities.
2.- Travel Portland President’s Award – Travel Portland acknowledged Bricks Need Mortar and founder Sarah Shaoul for efforts to advance Portland Community through pursuit of partnership and initiatives in support of Portland’s small business.
3.- We Are Here 2022 Look Book and 2024 Look Forward Survey -Each year we survey Portland’s small businesses to get a read on the health of this community. We share with you so you can see where you stand in relation to your peers and we share with policy makers to help them understand the priorities and needs of Portland’s small businesses. This directs our programming and further supports our advocacy efforts.
4.- Fighting Small Business Crime -The We Are Here Survey revealed the shocking statistic that 79% of our small brick and mortar businesses had been broken into and/or vandalized in 2022. This propelled us into engagement with PEMO, Public Environment Management Office, to connect businesses to resources for addressing crime and improving conditions and accessing resources to limit and address crime. We also engaged with ORCAOR, Oregon Retail Crime Association, to ensure that small businesses are included in efforts to identify and prosecute those engaged in organized crime. Bricks Need Mortar was invited to speak on Think Out Loud to share the small business crime data we collected, increasing our visibility as a small brick and mortar coalition.
5.- #PDXUNITES We continue to collaborate with Unitus Community Credit Union on weekly $100 gift card giveaways to small, brick and mortar businesses, increasing visibility and driving foot traffic. From the beginning of the pandemic to now, we’ve helped Unitus CCU give away over $20K to be spent at small businesses.
6.- Small Business Stimulus Distribution -worked with Worksystems to expand the delivery of federal stimulus to Portlanders to be spent only at Portland small businesses.
7.- Paid Worker Program -worked with Worksystems and PCC to match small, brick and mortar businesses with workers that would be paid by the program, providing an approx $5K -$12K benefit for each participating small business.
8.- Win Big 2023 + Win Big App We continue to review, learn and adjust the Win Big Holiday Campaign, bringing small businesses together to amplify the message to shop small, while delivering a fun and rewarding experience for holiday shoppers winning over 100 prizes. We reached beyond Portland to draw more shoppers and foot traffic into Portland to play. We also invested in development of the new Win Big Shop Small App, in order to make it easier for customers to discover participating small businesses and track raffle entries. We worked with key partners Travel Portland, Downtown Retail Council and other community partners to make this effort possible.
9.- Discover the Heart of Portland Shopping Guides We continue to produce and distribute the small business specific Portland evergreen shopping guide, organized by neighborhood. Working with our Community Partner, Morel Ink, we are able to distribute 20K guides through participating small businesses, area hotels, The Travel Portland Visitor Center and Travel Oregon Visitor Center at PDX Airport.
10.- Recommended Professional Resource Providers – in an effort to strengthen this community, through collaboration, Bricks Need Mortar has identified and vetted high value professional service providers, negotiating special rates whenever possible and learning opportunities so you have trusted professionals to turn to to help you maintain and grow your small business.
12.-Governor Brown’s Downtown Task Force – Sarah Shaoul was a solely focused voice advocating for Portland’s entire small business community participating in the Vision Committee Subgroup of Governor Kotek’s Downtown Task Force.
Bricks Need Mortar founder and CEO, Sarah Shaoul, has been awarded Travel Portland’s President’s Award for leadership, innovation and support of Portland’s small business community.
The award was presented by Travel Portland President, Jeff Miller and Portland Mayor, Ted Wheeler.
Inspiring key notes were delivered by NPR host and correspondent, Ari Shapiro, and Oregon Governor, Tina Kotek.
Photo by Kim Oanh Nguyen @photosbykim
In receiving the award, Shaoul shares: “I am honored to be recognized by Travel Portland for work to ensure the success of our small business community.
While I’m outspoken about what I believe in, I don’t really seek out personal recognition, nor am I motivated by that. So, I must share with you the gravity of how touched I was to be on stage be recognized for this work!
Connecting and collaborating with the Travel Portland team over the past 3+ years has truly been an honor because Travel Portland, in my own humble opinion, is doing some of the most impactful work to keep Portland the most wonderful place to live, work, play and visit!
And of course, that work is no 1 individual’s or organization’s accomplishment. As the awards event highlights so beautifully, it is the work and passion of so many that make Portland the amazing place it is!
It is truly the efforts of the hundreds of innovative, fun, creative, and inspiring small businesses who make this wonderful place where people come to fall in love with Portland.”
As we’ve now compiled data for 3 years, comparing data from one year to the next reveals some important differences worth noting. Small business crime has increased significantly from 63% to 79%, while small businesses made cuts to employee healthcare benefits. We encourage you to view the 2022 We Are Here report side by side with the 2021 We Are Here report.
And in 2022 we see that holiday and annual sales data remain largely consistent with the majority of sales happening in-store.
While there are some hopeful signs of growth and some small businesses reporting increases in revenue, the open comments sections reveal significant challenges and pain in the small business community.
Key survey input to share:
There needs to be a grand grant/financial support/thank you from the city for those of us that have put our business on the front lines for the community to still have a place they hold safe, when we have put our own lives + livelihoods in the hands of Portland Proper…
We need BIG leadership, I think. We need someone really focusing on cost of living or bringing new money into our local economy. We need the public to hear over and over and over again to get out of their house, walk their neighborhood streets, go and spend money in local businesses. And we need police, graffiti and trash clean up, fair parking enforcement, homelessness to be addressed, etc. etc. etc.
Rent continues to increase despite all the hardships that operating in a pandemic, recession and increased crime. This is another hit that pushes businesses to close (we may be forced to close soon!)
Small business/home owners pay a lot in taxes and are royally getting screwed in this city! Would love to see policy makers actually helping keep small businesses around rather than running them out of town!
These surveys are a massive undertaking and we appreciate every small business owner who took the time to share their experience and their data in an effort to build community so together we can be stronger and show that We Are Here.
Please consider becoming a Bricks Need Mortar member today and support this important work so we can continue to advocate for this community!
We invite you to review the data and input in the 2022 Shop Small Win Big Holiday Campaign report. We continue to learn from each event, the participating businesses and those shoppers who come out to play. We incorporate all this learning into our planning for this year so we can improve and build on this campaign to incentivize and amplify the important action to SHOP SMALL!
BIG THANKS to all the sponsors who make Shop Small Win Big possible!
Morel Ink •Travel Portland •Central Eastside Industrial Council •Kuto •Lime•Legwork Local Delivery •Prosper Portland •Point West Credit Union •Unitus Community Credit Union •The Oregonian •Portland Business Alliance •Cloud City Realty •Venture Portland •Willamette Week •Out Front Media • The Adrift Hotel • Kickstand Comedy • The Jupiter Hotel and Jupiter NextPortland • Center Stage • Miller Paint • Mississippi Studios and Revolution Hall • The Mark Spencer Hotel • The Patricia Reser Center • Inn at Northrup Station • Bons Amis • Water Closet Media • Sustainable Restaurant Group • Business for a Better Portland
