2025 State of Retail Report shows high productivity in small shops

As featured in the Journal Record

The holidays are here, and as you start checking things off your gift list, consider shopping small, even beyond Small Business Saturday. Oklahoma City is home to a diverse and vibrant network of local retailers, whose inventory will certainly include great gifts for the people in your life. The holidays are a critical time for small businesses; reports have repeatedly shown that the holidays account for up to half of annual sales for up to 60% of small business owners.

Oklahoma’s recent 2025 State of Retail Report, put together by the Independent Shopkeepers Association, recaps how the ups and downs of the past year have impacted retailers, highlighting just how crucial it is to support individual businesses this December.

Like most industries this year, retailers felt the impacts of inflation and tariffs—three quarters of shops reported negative impacts from tariffs and inflation. Yet, our local businesses remain resilient, strong and productive. Despite the hard times, Oklahoma City shops increased their productivity from the previous year, up to $334.10 per square foot from the previous year’s $286.80. Their productivity even surpassed the national average of $325 per square foot. Having such strong productivity directly improves the economic strength of the city, as that revenue is immediately reinvested back into the community through local taxes or organizational costs (like payroll or operational needs).