Well, the most common method seems to be word of mouth. Ask your friends where they shop. You'll be surprised when they clue you in to a fantastic little store that you'd never noticed. Other methods for finding your neighborhood producer are on the way. Many of these folks have concentrated on a niche where they can outshine the competition.
Hardware stores offer a good example.
Pantops Hardware specializes in plumbing supplies and offer many items you just can't find at a big box. Head to Meadowbrook Hardware at the corner of Emmet and Barracks Road. They've specialized in paint supplies that cannot be found anywhere else nearby, no matter what size the store. Many other sectors of our economy offer the same hidden local treasures. Use the Internet to seek them out instead of lining the pockets of a far away electronic big box.