Over the last few years, the economy and a more competitive landscape were to blame for many mom-and-pop shops suffering, some even shutting their doors for good. However, these small retailers, many of which are known for the charm and character they bring to downtown main streets across America, seem to be painting quite a different picture for this year’s holiday season.
An insightful survey conducted by online SMB community Manta has revealed that nearly half of all small retailers (49 percent) said they have a more positive outlook about holiday sales this year as opposed to 2010.
The survey, which comprised of nearly 800 mom-and-pop retailers, most which have fewer than 10 employees, divulged that 37 percent expect to experience the busiest shopping season of the year, and even better profits than last year.
One optimistic small business owner says this outlook is driven by a shared camaraderie amongst community residents who realize the importance of shopping within their towns, rather than at big-name stores. According to Manta, shopping local is known to provide a better customer experience to customers, improve the community, support local charities and new job creation, and contribute less to environmental pollution and congestion.
“We’re impacted by the economy just like everyone else; however, now more than ever, the consumers in our community really seem to understand the value of shopping locally,” said Jodi Black, president and co-owner of Beautiful Brains Books and Games, a Conover, N.C. store selling tabletop role-playing game books. “We are hopeful this trend will continue through the upcoming holiday season and beyond.”
While a shopping-local mantra will certainly help to foster success for these retailers, they are also calling upon other tactics for business triumph: social media. The Manta survey revealed that three-quarters of respondents plan on leveraging social media tactics to successfully promote their holiday bargains this year, with 86 percent already using Facebook (News - Alert) accounts to publicize their businesses. Meanwhile, three in four small retailers said superior customer service will be a big part of their recipe for business success.
“Like big retailers, we see the value in leveraging social media to reach people in new ways this holiday season,” said Joseph E. Nerkowski, owner of Holiday Lighting, Inc., an Ulby, Mich. retailer specializing in outdoor decorative lighting for homes and commercial property. “As a small retailer, we’re forced to do a lot with a little, and that’s why online tools like Manta are also so critical to our continued success.”
This newfound holiday season jolly doesn’t mean new jobs, however, as the survey found that a whopping 86 percent don’t plan on hiring more employees for this projected sales influx, with half admitting they don’t need help and one-third saying they can’t afford to do so.
Of course, many of these small business owners continue to point the finger at politicians and their reported lack of action to stabilize unemployment and job creation. According to the Manta SMB Wellness Index, 67 percent say they’re “highly unsatisfied” with government’s efforts for SMBs, as reported by the Huffington Post (News - Alert). Even so, we can all hope Santa is good to these small retailers this year.
Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet web editor. She covers a wide range of topics, including IP communications and information technology. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
