Many budget conscious shoppers avoid local stores because they think products cost more at these small shops. These stores don’t often use loss leaders to attract people, nor do they offer coupons that when stacked create free product opportunities. Yes, some products will cost more in local stores than in a box store but your money is going further. Just as you may pay a little more for organic because it’s better for your health, or you might spend a little more on a toy for your child that has educational value, shopping local is about more than just giving a shop owner money.
Competition
One thing that keeps prices low is competition. If you think about a box store, a hardware store for instance, two major brands come to mind. If your town has one, it probably has both. Now factor in other local franchises or privately-owned stores. All of these compete against one another, keeping prices low, and service top notch. If you remove these smaller businesses, the two top names could dominate the market to the point that prices remain high as long as the two of them agree to keep them that way. Competition is good for the consumer. Supporting local keeps that competition in town.
Added Benefit
You’re not only receiving a good product at a local store but often the owner is an expert in his field not a worker paid at minimum wage who just started in the department yesterday. If you want advice on things like fishing, dry cleaning, food preparation or more, go to the expert small business owner.
Better Return Policies
Local stores are interested in return customers and word-of-mouth marketing on a much larger scale than box stores because they often have fewer customers. If a product doesn’t work for you, small business owners want to know why and how they can make it better. Their service is impeccable because their mortgage payment relies on it.
Local stores don’t always offer the best price. Much of the time competition keeps prices similar, but box stores are able to offer loss leaders, something that may not be possible on a local store owners’ budget. But often you get what you pay for in expertise and customer service.
