Customers who feel valued become return customers and are a great source of word-of-mouth referrals. For that reason it’s important to make an impression on them. You do this with excellent customer service, providing world-class service or products, and delighting them. Whether you are a business owner or a chamber Read more…
There are many chambers using gift certificate or currency programs. They’ve been extremely successful in the past and the program is well received. Because of this many chambers don’t recognize a program that’s no longer working because from their perspective — sales — it sill is. But that’s not the Read more…
Who carries cash anymore? Not many of us. Mostly it’s credit and debit cards. 99% of the time this is perfect for any purchase but occasionally, like at farmers markets, we’re left rooting through pockets and purses. Yes, some markets have electronic payments but for most, it’s cash only. Unless… Read more…
People love free and often when we incentivize their “good behavior” they tend to repeat it. Here’s a creative idea your chamber can use for the holidays to get more people to shop local. Catch Them in the Act with Chamber Bucks One of the most effective positive reinforcements occurs Read more…
In addition to marketing, one of the most valuable things your chamber bucks program needs is referrals. If people are talking about your program, more people will want to be a part of it. But how do you make that happen? Get Them Out There Marketing occurs on many levels Read more…
Retailers work hard at attracting the Millennial customer because there are so many of them and they are approaching the age of having some discretionary income. The media has painted this niche-brand-loving generation as being “shoppers with a conscience,” who want to purchase from stores that are giving back and Read more…
Polls will tell you most people support shop local, in theory, but in reality there are a lot of hurtles to getting people to do shop in your local stores on a regular basis. Many of these hurtles involve preconceptions people have about local stores. Don’t ignore them. Take the Read more…
Fall is a wonderful season. For much of the country fall provides a respite from the scorching heat. Fall also begins the community season with harvest festivals, hayrides, pumpkin patches and more leading into the holidays. It’s a time that brings people out to enjoy the last of the nice weather, Read more…
Schools are about to be in session and for some students that means leaving home for the first time. If you know of someone going off to school there’s a very good chance, that young adult will be missing his/her hometown before too long. Give the Gift of Local Read more…
Often the biggest obstacle to people shopping local is top-of-mind recognition. The local store simply doesn’t come to mind first, Target does. This is remedied by marketing, and lots of it, but that’s often not in a small merchant’s budget. If you’re the local chamber of commerce or merchants association Read more…
