What do Cheers, Starbucks and today’s top consumer trends have in common?
There are Starbucks in every small town and on every other street corner in the big cities for a reason. Companies like these and others know the importance of being local for their customers. Just like the classic TV lyrics says:
Makin’ your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Takin’ a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go, where everybody knows your name, And they’re always glad you came. *
Look what we found at a local coffee shop the other day. (Click on the Starbucks chalkboard image to enlarge it).
Have you also noticed that these shops are not just clones of the corporate collective? They are typically unique, have a local flavor and are staffed with local people. Click the image of the sign above to see an example of a local Starbucks reaching its community.
Small Business knows how to treat customers right…
Recently I was traveling in South Florida. While waiting for a rental car at the airport a seemingly dazed man came up to me. I could tell by the look on his face that he was in some type of shock. He started out saying… “What is happening to business in America?” It got my attention. He went on to rant about how he could not find anyone to help him with his problem from one of the large national rental car companies. (I’m leaving out a lot of his issues) He said: “I own 4 companies and we do not treat our customers this way.” I said in turn that “I don’t either.” Then I went on to talk about the emergence of small business because of the opportunity for superior customer service.
Many large retailers are not in-tune with the local customer…
The point here is that many large corporate entities are in trouble because they are not localized or do not have a local customer-centered mentality, and do not properly train or much less empower their employees to make customers happy. People therefore appreciate the smaller companies that do because of the high level of friendly, knowledgeable service they receive (and crave).
I’m not going to be so bold as to say that the demise of corporate service at the local level is automatically an opportunity for your business… but it sure could be if you work to make your customers feel good about doing business with you. I’m also sure there are many large corporate businesses that are doing well because of their attention to the customer (in fact Wal-Mart is very good at it); but those who don’t should be reading this article now rather that reading it while filing for Chapter 11.
Consumers are looking for Sustainability…
We are all after a sustainable business model and are becoming more and more about a sustainable society. It is a grass root movement, the same one that brought us “green”. But sustainability means more than the environment; it is economic, social and environmental. See the blog article: Trend Watch: Sustainability Defined (finally):
Listen to what others are saying about it and search your own experience.
TrendWatching.com: Consumer Trends and Insights from Around the World
The last word...
I always send these blogs around the office to be proofed since my brain typically engages way before my fingers do. Here is what our Director of Merchandising said when I asked if the article was on point:
“I like the point and it is relevant to our customers. I like the links as well. Every business owner has a choice in how they treat (or value) their customers. They either think the customer is important enough to keep or they think that customer is expendable (and another will come along to replace them). And as consumers we have power in the choices we make each day: to help our neighbors by supporting their businesses, help our economy (buy USA) and help the earth be better for our children and grandchildren by being “green”. I know that personally – I believe & understand that much more now.”
Robby Meadows, Nashville Wraps
Leave us your comments!
* Cheers TV Show Lyrics by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo
Patricia says
As an artist, I am very much in tune with the idea of shopping and buying locally as much as possible. I have found that small, locally owned businesses treat the client more as a person than even locally governed big box stores whose personnel treat clients as if they were numbers or interchangeable cogs. Because the big box stores skimp on the niceties they can then offer very low prices thinking that most people care only for the price tag and nothing else.
I am careful with my spending. But I am also careful with my psyche.
Rich says
To be effective, sustainability must be at the heart of the company selling sustainable products.
Certainly the big retailers have financial motives to figure out how to prop up some green products, but ‘sustainability’ is not in the ‘DNA’ of these companies. There are real people desiring to make a positive impact, know sustainability, and know how to smell a corporate rat (e.g., Beth’s comment @ Starbucks). As people learn more about truth in sustainability, we’re all becoming wiser shoppers and we seek genuine and sincere products.
An analogy: I used to buy organic produce at the grocery store, but now I prefer to go to local farmers markets. Why?
I realized liked organic produce because they were naturally delicious, high quality, and freshly picked. (remember those tasty, juicy apples you picked from the orchard? why can’t we find them apples in the store? somehow they’re not nearly as tasty as apples at the farmers market)
Local farmers explain, “well, I assure you it’s fresh-picked this morning, and I don’t use pesticides or herbicides, and we’ve farmed for 4 generations. I guess you can say it’s organic, but since our small family farm can’t afford certifications, I can’t say it is ‘certified’ organic.”
Big corporations market better than local farmers, but if you seek quality and authenticity dig a bit deeper to get the real story.
Be wary of big guys moving toward sustainability. Their apples LOOK big, red, and juicy, and they have a ‘story’ but how authentic and sincere is their offering?
Michelle says
I can’t agree more on how truthful this article is. I am a small business owner (from Maryland), I work part time with a local small retail business, and many colleagues of mine work with economic development associations or are small business owners themselves. I work with businesses on several Main St./historical districts and shop at them too.
Now it is evident that people are showing an interest in local pride – exploring their hometown and supporting local produce stands/farmers markets, attending local events, going to shops, restaurants, museums, etc. These places offer everyday people options like personalized customer service, owning a piece of local history/heritage, as well as support not just the local mom and pop businesses but the new business that offer stylish artful objects by local artisans and items you just can’t find at shopping malls. This extends beyond ones hometown, county and even around their state as more tourists seek these types of destinations too. To keep these people coming back falls back to delivering excellent customer service and meeting the demands of customers. Visiting a store is now more like an experience, like a third home hangout or a 5 min vacation from busy lifestyles because there is more respect given to customers to smaller shops and you feel more like a family member or long lost friend than a number . The easiest way this can be achieved starts the moment they are welcomed into the shop to when they are handed a colorful decorative shopping bag holding their new purchase(s).
Again, great article! Can’t wait to read more!
Beth says
While I applaud Starbucks social local participation, I think going local should also include local products. I have never seen a Starbucks store carrying local products, which is part of this trend. Some suggestions are; mugs made by a local potter, featuring a local coffee roaster, a packaged food product produced locally, bakery goods that don’t come frozen in boxes. I’ll stop there. Communities in this economic climate need dollars invested in local businesses other than sales tax.
Kathy says
I said a very similar thing on my garden blog the other day. http://kathysgardenandart.blogspot.com/2009/04/350-project-save-our-local-garden.html
We really need to suport our communities, after all we are them – our neighbors, friends and relatives work in these places.
Al Hoodwin says
As Robby mentions, there is a window of opportunity here for small business owners to successfully respond to this current lack of responsiveness by the large retailers to local needs and customer service.
However large retailers are not sitting still and have started to figure this out for themselves:
Walmart
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/economy/2008/07/24/can-wal-mart-do-local.html
Macy’s
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121133559993909309.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Because of the size of these corporations, it will take them longer to reorganize and respond to this need, but they eventually will do this. As a small business owner you need to act now and acquire those customers before the large retailers finally catch up.