S.O.S. - Save our Small Shops

 

-Image generated by Bing AI

I was in town the other day and very sad to see so many of our small shops struggling. Many already had for lease signs or had changed hands. Even McCann’s Music Store in its landmark building had become a thrift shop after 142 years. Given the current economic climate, charity shops are about the only businesses which seem to be thriving, with the possible exception of noodle and sushi shops and new, old -fashioned  barbershops -–a lot of our young men are sporting beards these days. This is a great pity since it is the variety of little shops which bring life and colour to the city.

In these days of globalisation – where the same brands appear on every main street, what apart from a few landmarks and historic buildings makes a city unique and special? I’m thinking here of the tiny shops crammed into every nook and cranny in Budapest, each one different from the next and each bringing its own special flavour and personality to the overall fabric of the city. The charming buildings are the warp but these little shops and their equally diverse owners are the weft.

We are certainly not alone in this. Retailing in general has been in crisis throughout the Western world for much of the last ten years, in part because of the rise in online shopping. However, the pandemic, rising rents, rising interest rates and other costs have made things considerably worse. People got used to staying home and ordering more online. Those who used to work in city offices no longer stopped in to pick something up on their way home and costs rising for everyone, has meant less disposable income. In consequence, gift shops, bookshops, fine dining and toys and clothing have suffered most.  

 

Convenience and time are also big factors. If you are working two jobs to make ends meet or juggling a job, the household and a couple of unruly kids as a single parent or even a dual income family, you’ll have neither time nor energy to go on a shopping spree, though you might do it at 2 a.m. when the kids are asleep.

That however, does not mean we should take it lying down. Below are a few thoughts about how we might save some of these gems in our midst. Small shops and retail in general do collectively employ a large number of people who will also have a lot less spending money if they fail, so here are some suggestions.

For customers if there’s a little shop you’ve been meaning to visit or something you’ve been meaning to buy or just like small shops as much as I do, now is the time to do it while you still can. I fear I am going to have to indulge my weakness for beautiful bedding and kitchenware very soon, or I am going to miss out. 

Below are some things which business owners and others could do.

1.       GO ONLINE YOURSELF

If you can’t beat them, join them. Set aside one day a week to develop your online presence.

Yes, I hear you -I don’t have time for that  - at night I have to clean, restock, do the books and reorder, but you can’t afford not to. This is also the time to think about marketing, networking, reading the industry news, consider going to trade fairs and being active in your community. Join the association for your business and or your local Chamber of Commerce.

Getting online doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. Creating a Facebook Page costs nothing and gives you a regular opportunity to touch base with your customers and let them know what you have in the way of new stock, events or even just your opening times and contact details.

There’s no need to invest big time until you see if an idea works. Microsoft Bing AI gave good simple instructions on how to build a Facebook site and embed surveys. 

To do this you must first have a private FB page first to prove you are real person. Though you may have to give Facebook a few details such as your name Date of Birth and Location, you can block others from seeing them later.

Then you can start your free Facebook Business Page – just follow the prompts in the video below. This also gives you an instant Instagram presence where you can put beautiful images of your shop and stock.  It will also automatically update both if you post something new. 

One word of caution though. If you are making something original that sells well, putting it on the internet may bring out the copy cats who can probably do it faster and cheaper than you can.

Don’t spend big money on this at this stage. Wait and see if it works. Even if you can’t do it yourself, almost any High School student could help you out. 

Remind people occasionally of your existence by telling them about new stock, having videos, competitions, freebees, discount vouchers and so on, but don’t over do it. I have so many emails to read, constant marketing really irritates me, even if I originally liked the products. Nothing makes me unsubscribe faster. Ask your customers how often they’d like to hear from you.

 There are also a number of free website builders, though you might have to acknowledge them in the domain name or in the header or footer. 

Once that’s done, you can add something like Shopify or a similar platform so people can easily pay with credit cards and Voila! Your online shop is ready to go. The starter pack for Shopify costs just $7 per month plus 5% commission on sales and it’s very easy to set up. For this they collect your orders in one place, run your shopping cart and bill the client. Their app also allows you to use it on your phone for face -to -face card sales and it also gives you some basic analytics.

2.       KNOW THY CUSTOMERS

You might be surprised to discover that the main purchasers of your educational toys aren’t schools, kindergartens and mothers of young children, but grandmothers who have fond memories of playing with the same toys when they were young, or it might be a doting aunt or uncle or a work colleague buying a gift for a pregnant team member. Do they live in the country or the city? There are lot of country people who aren’t coming into town as much as they used to either - fuel is expensive too,  and they are unlikely to discover you on a side street if they don’t know you already. An internet presence will enable you to reach them wherever they are. 

If they are mothers of young children, how child friendly is your establishment? Perhaps they are there for novelty or an experience, not an actual product. What did they like? Dislike? How could their experience be improved? What should you do more of – in -store demonstrations, a holiday craft activity? A guest speaker, a juggler or a poetry reading? And what should you do less of? Some people like to chat. Others like to be left alone to browse or would prefer to shop online. What would they like to see? Don’t get too upset about negative criticism. I have probably learned more from my enemies than my friends. If nothing else it creates brand awareness and lets customers know you are listening to them.

You could also do a survey. Everyone is doing those now too and it's very easy and free through Survey Monkey, but as with too many emails, it’s no longer novel and may irritate more than enlighten.

You could simply ask people directly, but don't expect them to be as honest as they would be if it were anonymous or online. You could also leave a stack paper feedback forms near the register and pop one into the bag with their purchase. You could also ask people if they’d like to do one, but if people are on a parking meter, on the clock or have to pick up their kids at three, don’t expect them to hang around filling out questionnaires.

Rather, look at what’s selling, ask those who do have the time to talk and make a note of things which you’ve been asked for. What are your unique selling points? Handmade? Luxury? Classic? Novel? Geeky? Teen?  Eco – Friendly? If the latter, make sure all your store décor, packaging and advertising reflects that.

  3.       KNOW THY COMPETITORS

What and how are they selling? How could you compliment or improve on that?

4.       BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Getting together opens up the opportunity for joint advertising, co -location with compatible businesses, those who share similar values, or even one’s competitors. There’s a street in Budapest which has loads of antiquitarian booksellers. They are all competitors of course, but there’s still room for cooperation and the street has become famous among collectors around the world as a sort of one – stop location for rare first editions and fine old books. See also Collaborative Spaces below.

A united front is also more effective for approaching councils and similar bodies such as your Chamber of Commerce.

5.       HOW COUNCILS AND OTHERS COULD HELP

Councils have the power to freeze or reduce rates, permit free or create extra parking, ease restrictions such allowing café tables on footpaths and making improvements such as seating, planters, pedestrianisation, organising events, making halls and civic facilities available or providing say, free public transport for seniors on days when there is little business. These are all part of creating a vibrant city. Our Council does have a small business support section.

It's well and truly out of date now, but I still have a lovely little brochure which fits neatly in your pocket and which used to be available at most tourist outlets. It featured all the specialty shops, some tourist info and map on the back with their location, plus parking areas and places of interest. It even offered one and a half hours of free parking in the council’s carparks. 

It was apparently a joint venture between the Council and the Chamber of Commerce and I don’t know if the business owners had to contribute or not. No one at the council seemed to know either. It most certainly is time for a new one. 

However, while I was researching this, I discovered that the Council has produced a beautiful website called ‘Hello Hobart,’ with a self -guided tour that you can use on your smartphone and listing all kinds of events and places by category. Even better, listing is free. Though it is terrific for up -and -coming events and can easily be updated when there's a change, there don’t seem to be many businesses on it as yet.

Unfortunately, I don't think many others know it exists and many of the people who love real shops aren’t necessarily on smart phones. Perhaps we need to paint the trail on the footpath in Tassie Tiger prints, or broad arrows in the case of historical information.

Other levels of government may be able to help too with things like small grants, low interest loans or tax rebates, relocation or digital transformation. Be sure to approach them with facts and figures - combined amounts paid in rates, number of employees -including indirect ones like tax agents, cleaners and delivery drivers, and what you contribute to the life of the city. That’s what the big boys do. Don't ignore them either. They too could be interested in sponsoring an event which brings more people through their doors as well. You'd be making the economic pie bigger. Not taking something from one another.

Don’t forget your suppliers either. They may be able to help with advertising or events. They have as much to gain as you have.

University marketing and fine arts students could be helpful as well. Perhaps you could run a competition for students to design a website, a brochure or marketing campaign.

6.       CHANGE

Change is inevitable. You must decide if you will meet it head on and use it to your advantage or let it crush you. If the latter, you may as well quit now before throwing more time and energy at it. Otherwise the death will be slow, painful and expensive. One thing is certain. Doing what you've always done, won't cut it.

Hours

Think about changing your hours.  If working people are the only ones who can afford to buy your product, make it easy for them to visit you. Start later and stay open late on at least one day of the week, or have a weekend shopping time, preferably when the parking police aren’t so diligent.

Days

Do you need to be open every day? I know one very successful shop in a country town which opened only two days a week -it even called itself the Thursday- Friday Shop. Those were the days when most people came to town from the surrounding countryside, so the owner probably made more money on those two days than all the rest of the week. This would leave time to build up other aspects of the business – such as internet services or an entirely new product line.

Location

Unless people know you from elsewhere, you have a large fan base, or you have been recommended by others, it’s hard to attract new customers. They certainly won’t have time to ‘discover’ you three blocks up from the main shopping centre or behind the chemist off the main street. With so many places shutting down, this might be a good time to see if there is something which might be more suited to your business and help to future -proof it.

If you have a choice, could you move somewhere where there's more foot traffic? I see the Fairy Shop has moved into closer proximity to some other interesting little businesses. Perhaps you need something larger where you could add craft classes, or even another business to share the overheads or help both of you attract more business. Our local bookshop has a café at the back. It’s rare that I can walk through without taking a peek at the new titles and can resist the urge to buy something.

Is there somewhere with room to add a children's play area, so mothers with young children can shop in peace.

7.       RETAINING CUSTOMER INTEREST AND LOYALTY

One shop I know gives customers a special birthday voucher for a discount each year. It allows the owner to build a mailing list and tells them a bit about the age group of their customers. Another, an upmarket clothing shop, has a regular champagne mornings and late -night catwalk shows. The money from the champagne mornings goes to a women’s health charity. The customers are usually women from the corporate world. When you buy something, you also receive a small piece of beautifully scented soap in your shopping bag. I rarely buy clothes, but I when I do, I go there first and I always look in to see what they have.

This is as much for the atmosphere as anything else. Most of my clothes might be from the Op - shop, but I feel like I am in Paris when I'm there. It’s always upbeat and different and I often find something small which I can afford or need for someone’s birthday. 

Sell an Experience not just a Product 

It's one of the best ways to compete against the anonymity of online shopping. 

I also recall a a tiny butcher's shop I used to pass on my way home. He always had the most unusual window display - yes, there were the usual lumps of meat on fake grass with ceramic lambs gambolling on the side, but he always had a bowl of roses in the window and some other unrelated oddity. 

When he finally opened his larger Country Butchery some distance away - complete with hitching post, I'm pretty sure 99% of his customers followed him there. Mind you, he was once fined for having too much meat in his sausages, so it was about quality too. He was also kind and generous when it came to giving to community events - a meat tray for the sports club raffle, sausages for a fundraising sausage sizzle and so on. Though I didn't eat meat myself, I could see the attraction for others and he was certainly different. 

Music, luscious scents low lighting and other things which stimulate all the senses might also work. What's your unique selling proposition?

8.       CHARITABLE GIVING

Speaking of charities, some businesses give gift vouchers or stock for auction at events such as the Big Morning Tea which many places around Australia have to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research. I don’t know how effective that is, but it ensures that your name is known.

It is also an opportunity to network. You could for example, donate to charities which compliment your business -e.g. the Wilderness Society if you are into natural materials or eco – friendly products. Go to their events or advertise on their sites and vice versa.Then their members will come to know you. The power of this type of networking can’t be underestimated especially when it comes to businesses which rely on face – to -face contact. Word of mouth is the best advertisement and doesn’t cost much.

9.       NETWORKING

I know a lot of business owners are independent spirits, but let me tell you a story. The place where I started my business was in a beautiful but rather isolated area which was not often on tourists’ itineraries and, because of its reputation for bad weather, was even less visited by locals.

I’m not sure who hired the tourist consultant - [Hi there Bill Maybe, wherever you are now] -most likely the state government, but the first thing he did was call all the tourist operators together and have them visit each other’s premises – the food outlets, the accommodation providers and those offering other services, and have them talk about the natural attractions in their area. The idea was to keep people in the region longer, rather than just passing through.

At first, both the places and the business owners were highly competitive and even hostile towards one another, but we soon got to appreciate some more than others and told our visitors about what they could see and do as they were travelling around. If my accommodation was fully booked I was perfectly happy to be booking them into my competitors’ or telling people about attractions they were likely to see. Chances are they’d be back the next day for coffee or their friends would be on another occasion. Other businesses reciprocated in kind and it helped to create a bit of a buzz about these small towns.

We also co -operated on tourist brochures and a festival in Hobart to celebrate the region which brought more intrastate visitors to the area and kept businesses ticking over in the touristless off -season which had been a problem for all of us. Now at least if the weather was too wet for bushwalking, we could tell visitors about places like the Museum in Zeehan or the long running play in Strahan or the occasional show at the Gaiety Theatre.

Inside the shop we celebrated all the seasons, had travelling musicians and put on regular events like movie nights, which also kept local people coming back. Some came for coffee and stayed  for the fun. It even made it into Lonely Planet. I mention that only to prove that even a tiny business in the middle of nowhere can attain global fame.  

10.   DON’T BE AFRAID TO USE AI TO GENERATE IDEAS

Here are a couple of additional suggestions from BING AI:

·         Create Interactive Experiences – in -store events, demonstrations and workshops. Having play areas can attract families and create a memorable shopping experience

·         Partnering with local schools and Community Centres for events and promotions can create a loyal customer base

·         Pop -Up Shops – Can attract new customers and  are certainly a lot more attractive than empty shops. We are already seeing some of those in the city.

·         Collaborative spaces – sharing retail space with other artisans can reduce costs and create a unique shopping area. I remember seeing a wonderful place in Scandinavia once – it was in the Stockholm ‘s old quarter I think. Craftspeople of all types dressed in traditional clothing worked away in tiny cottages where the public could watch and or participate and buy the finished goods. It was certainly a tourist attraction in its own right and kept traditional skills alive too.
Richmond, a small historic town 23 kilometres from Hobart seems to have evolved organically into something like this.

More recently, another place in Sweden, Artebruksgalleria ReTuna, became the first mall  in the world dedicated entirely to recycled, repaired and refurbished goods. What a great use for empty shopping centres! It includes electronics, furniture, fashion and toys and also has workshops where goods are repaired on site and sold to the public.

·         It doesn’t have to be physical space

The UK, as part of its “Made in Great Britain” campaign, has an online platform “The British Artisans and Sellers Marketplace” for handmade products such as jewellery, leather goods, clothing and ceramics, as well as vintage and collectable goods. They aim is to keep British crafts alive and showcase talent, especially for those starting out as there’s no charge for listing and only a small commission to be paid on successful sales.

11.   DO YOU REALLY NEED A SHOPFRONT?

Could you move your whole operation online and work from home? It allows operators to set their own times and respond to customers when it suits them. If, like one lady I know, you'd miss the face – to -face interaction with customers, or really need to show your products, perhaps a regular market stall would work. Do we need to bring back The Party Plan for some products which you need to be able to feel and experience?

12.   JOY – THE SECRET INGREDIENT

I’m not sure if I am expressing this well, but regardless of how much money places are making, if there isn’t a positive vibe and the owner or staff look pinched and worried – even with good reason, it makes me less eager to go back. The show must go on.

Unless you are a funeral director, a happy friendly face will almost always work better than a bland, disinterested, depressed or overstressed one. I can't claim that my business was ever a huge financial success - having started from nothing, paying 30% interest and reinvesting almost every cent, but I can tell you that even three decades on, a lot of people remember it. It gave a lot of people joy and also gave quite a few people jobs who might not otherwise have had one.