American Express astutely recognized there was something missing in the holiday shopping experience in 2010.
Black Friday had become the retail equivalent of March Madness with door-buster deals, long lines and traffic jams. Cyber Monday offered the opposite end of the shopping spectrum with anonymity, indoor warmth and high-speed Internet. However, the weekend lacked a face, a soul and a neighborly connection with local entrepreneurs.
Small Business Saturday filled that gap and has quickly grown the past three years to an estimated $5.7 billion this year. Terry Bloodworth of Springfield Hot Glass said it was his busiest day in the 10-year history of the store.
It’s another reminder that consumers want what they want when they want it. Consumers revel in the sport and spectacle of Black Friday, savor the convenience of a digital marketplace, and aspire to shop local and support their favorite stores. Center city businesses must be responsive to each of these trends.
Shopping as sportIt’s difficult for downtown stores to compete with the advertising juggernauts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, locals can band together for community-based events such as Small Business Saturday and Shop Downtown First – a collaboration of the Springfield Christmas Parade, the Downtown Springfield Association Holiday Loft Walk and free carriage rides sponsored by the Downtown Community Improvement District.
With the publicity horsepower of American Express and proclamations from governors and mayors, such as our own Bob Stephens, downtown retailers should partner with neighboring retailers, restaurants and attractions to create uniquely local shopping experiences.
Online onslaughtThe National Retail Federation estimates the average consumer will purchase 40 percent of their holiday gifts online this year, representing $82 billion nationally. Online growth is projected at 14 percent, dramatically outpacing the overall increase of 4 percent in 2013. This trend will do nothing but increase with the adoption of smartphones and tablets.
Even the smallest retailer must have a respectable website with baseline information on the store’s vision, its products and services, and hours of operation. It should take advantage of as many local resources as possible, such as online directories and programs with local media. Most importantly, it must determine which forms of social media are the best fit for its customers to establish a voice that can set it apart from sterile national big boxes or local competitors that don’t invest in those channels.
Demand for dealsA frustratingly slow economic recovery and a stream of self-induced drama from Washington, D.C., have jaded a generation. They will be slow to open their wallets too quickly.
Part of the lure of holiday shopping is the art of the deal. Downtown retailers can create value through the targeted bundling of discounts with personalized services, VIP events and other local products. Interactions with the owner, not an entry-level associate, can make a significant difference in the customer’s level of satisfaction.
Marketing-driven shopping holidays and online sales are firmly established in our American culture. But the Thanksgiving weekend and the entire gift-giving season aren’t complete without the blood and muscle of local entrepreneurs who create magnetic places for us to explore, enjoy and invest back in to our communities.
Rusty Worley, executive director of Urban Districts Alliance, can be reached at rusty@itsalldowntown.com.[[In-content Ad]]
