It doesn’t take long for word to get around a small town. Recently, a local shop owner had taken a much needed trip away. Prior to departure, they may have told someone they were considering some “changes.” Overnight, rumours that they would be closing shop upon their return were flying! And next came the speculations as to “Why?”
In small towns, the select number of businesses hold a part of our collective community identity, so we sometimes take these changes personally. Did we not support this business enough? Is it another testimony to a struggling local economy? One of the conversations that took place over this recent news was the suggestion that with the popularity of internet purchasing, the brick and mortar retail store may become a thing of the past.
In all fairness, I like to give all ideas some pause. There certainly is an increase in online buying, and in small communities the online shopping experience offers an oft unequaled opportunity for choice and convenience. But I wasn’t buying this notion that the end was near for street-level vendors. And here’s why: Experience.
Consumers value experiences.We like to talk to shop owners, we like to browse and touch and smell. We like to try things on, and turn things about in our hands. But above all, in these experiences, what we get is human contact and connection. In essence, we gain a sense of community. This is not to say that online shops are unable to provide this, because there are certainly tricks to that trade, but the exchange of goods from person to person brings us back to a level of organic exchange we seem to inherently crave. Relating to humans makes us feel, well… more human.
Perhaps the key in this evolution of trade is to stay flexible. Store-front retail contributes greatly to the style and sense of our small town atmosphere, and yet, a portion of online sales may be what is required to expand on a market that is limited in scale.
May these changes bring the best for us all.
~Tree