Is there an Economist in the house?: The economic impact of Xmarks

[KD Burke]

I like having the trust, the goodwill, and the good feelings about wearing kilt and kit from other X Markers

Exactly! Precisely the reasons why I have a Thorfinn sporran, belts from Oconee Leather and a Tyger Forge buckle. The fact is that this loyalty to fiends, neighbors and acquaintances who we've located on the site has an undeniable economic impact.

First, we are spending money, some of which we would not have spent if it weren't for Xmarks. Second, of the money we would have spent anyway, we've directed some away from larger, more generic vendors toward smaller artisans with a narrower, but richer focus.

I suspect that the net effect of Xmarks (as well as equivalent sites in other areas of interest) is to bolster small and very small businesses at the expense of established retail "big box" vendors.