Indepedence.(Editor's Note)

A Year ago this month, I wrote about a group of independent retailers that had formed in the Milwaukee area in order to compete more effectively. Milwaukee area Independent Coffee Shops (MIC's) held meetings to discuss better business practices, and hoped to create more buying power by banding together.

This month, I heard from a group with a similar plan. The Indie Cafe Alliance is a buying consortium that is looking to level the buying playing field between independents and big chains. The brainchild of Todd Carmichael, a retailer/roaster, the Alliance has secured discounted prices on cups, lids, sugar, bags and other goods, including espresso machines and brewers, and it hopes to pass this savings on to its members. To become a member, a retailer should visit the Indie Care Alliance Web site, www.indiecafealliance.com (expected to be live Aug. 1). The member is given an ID number that he can use with his local distributor to receive the prices that the Alliance has negotiated.

Membership does have a cost, but it comes in a unique form. Loosely following the example of Starbucks, which has offered CDs in its stores for some time, the Alliance will support independent musicians by getting their CDs into independent cafes. In lieu of traditional dues, each care commits to selling the CDs of four independent artists per ...