BBB's Better Marketplace in 2023: By the Numbers

BBB St. Louis served consumers across Eastern and Southwest Missouri and Southern Illinois nearly 21 million times in 2023, remaining a leader in marketplace trust. We further marketplace trust by educating consumers and businesses on ethics, connecting consumers with trusted businesses and charities, and preventing and reporting scams and fraud.

2023 was a successful year for BBB, thanks both to our dedicated employees and volunteers in Cape Girardeau and to you. If you reported a scam, reviewed a company, or read one of our weekly columns, you played a part in making the marketplace safer and better for everyone.

We hope to keep up the good work in 2024 – bringing you reliable, timely information that helps make Cape Girardeau a better place to live, give and do business.

Building a better marketplace in 2023: By the numbers

Consumers are increasingly seeking information about how to shop safely, what businesses to trust and how to avoid the latest swindles. Companies want to learn how to grow their business and better serve their customers. We’re making sure that when they search, they’ll find BBB.

• People reached...

  • ...through BBB's website: 6.9M
  • ...via email newsletters and social media: 11.1M
  • ...by phone: 29.5K
  • ...with community presentations: 3,507
  • ...through news coverage: 1.4B

BBB offers services that help businesses and consumers connect and work together for a better marketplace. When consumers call or check BBB’s website to inquire about a business, they learn how it serves its customers. We also provide customers and businesses the opportunity to resolve conflicts by submitting and responding to complaints.

• Businesses that earned BBB Accreditation: 8,515 total – 414 accredited businesses in Cape Girardeau

  • BBB Business Profile inquiries: 3.9M
  • BBB Customer Reviews published: 18.3K
  • Complaints closed: 20.8K
  • Percent of complaints answered or resolved: 84%

Part of making the marketplace better is holding bad actors accountable. BBB Scam Tracker reports help BBB track new and trending fraud in our region. We also conduct investigations into companies showing a pattern of complaints.

• Potential fraud reported to Scam Tracker: 1,167
• Local investigations conducted: 361

You can check out businesses or charities by calling 888-996-3887 or visiting BBB.org.