Polls indicate most people feel good about shopping local, yet there’s still a lot of big chain buying that goes on. Why is that? Knowing the reasons people shop at national stores can help you adjust your small business marketing accordingly. Here are the main reasons people shop the big stores and what you can do about it:
It’s Easier
Customers go online and in a couple of clicks the item is on its way. Amazon and other super shippers have made competition difficult because you can have an item almost as quickly as you can shoot across town, park, and purchase what you want, assuming the store has it.
If you’re not able to create an online shopping experience where people can browse your inventory from the comfort of their homes, then you need to concentrate on making shopping effortless for people who just want to get in and out. This means ensuring parking is ample. Your chamber of commerce can help you work with the local departments necessary to make shopping a frictionless experience for your customers.
It’s Cheaper
This comes down to marketing or unique value. You can either drop your prices to that of the big box stores and offer guarantees on the “lowest price in town” or you can provide special value that box stores don’t. This could include classes or demonstrations, content extras that help people make buying decisions, or specialty advice and customer service that can’t be replicated by your competition. Small businesses often have more knowledge about their product, service, and industry that large companies with high turnover among employees don’t have.
They’re First to Mind
Big box stores have big marketing and ad budgets and that means they are often the first stop thought of when a product or service is needed. The good news is with today’s referral marketing and content marketing small businesses can compete even if their budgets are considerably smaller. Small business owners need to concentrate on building referrals and getting customers to talk about them on social media.
Understanding why people buy “big” is the first step in changing this habit. Social media is one of the most important tools merchants have at their disposal. It’s free to participate and your customers are already there. Your local chamber can also give you access to things that you may not have the time to invest in like offering gift certificates through an online chamber currency programs.
