To the Merchants

Just the other day we visited PetSmart, looking for aquarium gravel. The type we needed was out of stock, although it is not unusual. We asked when they would be getting more and were told “We get deliveries every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” We returned a week later and found that there was still no gravel. We asked for the manager, who informed us that the gravel was ordered by computer, and she would have to check when it was due. Ten minutes later she returned and told us that it showed on a plan-o-gram for delivery in two weeks, they have little control over their stock.
This got me thinking about big business vs. small business. It seems that big business would have all the advantages; money, corporate support, a team of strategists. Certainly, there must be advantages for us small business owners to take advantage of. I turned this over in mind for awhile and came up with these three advantages we have over big stores.
We have windows.
We know our customers.
We are able to order in small quantities.
We have windows. The big box stores are called that because from the outside they just look like big boxes. No one stops to window shop when they go to Kohl’s or Target or Walmart. Window shopping used to be a national pastime. As merchants, we can help beautify our downtown area, increase foot traffic, and improve our own sales by keeping up our windows.
We know our customers. When was the last time you walked into Menard’s and someone said, “Hi, Bill! How are you? How’s that new car?” Um....maybe never? The big stores don’t know you and couldn’t possibly know everyone that walked through the door. Even my 13 year old granddaughter can see that they aren’t very welcoming, even if they do hand you a shopping cart. No one is fooled when they check the name on your credit card and then say, “Thank you for shopping at our K-Mart, Mrs. Smith.”
We are able to order in small quantities. Back to PetSmart. No doubt they have to wait until the order is large enough to bring in a truckload of aquarium gravel. That’s the only way to keep their prices down. That’s why our prices are a little higher, but our flexibility can’t be beat. If we need an item, we can probably order 6 or 12 or maybe even only one. If Target wants to test market an item they probably have to order at least 1,000 so that they can gauge public interest. We can order a dozen or two and figure out pretty fast if it’s an item that will work for us.
We have a lot of other advantages. We don’t have to wait for an executive decision, or a committee, or the purchasing department. A small business consultant once told me, “Small businesses can turn on a dime. Turning a big business is like trying to turn an ocean liner.”
Let’s use our advantages to better our city, create a welcoming atmosphere, and offer a wider variety of products to our customers.