When speaking at conferences and workshops I am often asked by newsagents to help them address flat sales. The discussion often come back to what the business stands for. When I ask what do we stand for? A common answer from independent retailers is community connection, being local. This is often said by newsagents with a less than complete community connection strategy.
Being connected with the local community is a good unique selling proposition when most of what is sold is available from other businesses, usually bigger businesses.
By trading off the local connection, independent retailers connect with others who are community-minded.
In just about any retail business, more could be done to connect with the community. Here are some questions you could ask yourself to test the community connection of your independent retail business:
- What local charities does the business support?
- What local schools does the business support?
- What local organisations is the business connected with?
- What local events does the business actively participate in?
- Have you compared the savings of shopping locally at your business compared to further away? Do you communicate this?
- Do you buy from local businesses where possible? Do you promote this?
- Do you promote your business with other local businesses?
- Does a representative of the business attend events and charities supported by the business to make awards?
- Do you hold events in the business for local groups – art shows, competition entries and the like?
- Do you participate in local government business forums?
- Are your employees encouraged to share in your community involvement?
- Are you part of the local traders association?
- Are local organisations able to publicise events in the window or using other resources of the business?
- If your newsagency closed, would the community care?
This last question is the real question: If your neewsagency closed, would the community care? Would what you perceive as your value be lost and noticed? If the answer is no then your community connection is not as good as it could be.
Connecting your business to the local community is not something you can fake. It must be genuine from the owner of the business right through. You need to pursue as many touch points as possible for the sake of the business and to demonstrate and drive value for the community.
There are initiatives independent retailers can take to help the local community and build a mutually beneficial community connection. Here are 20 ideas for your consideration:
- Establish a what’s on noticeboard in your window or on a wall for promoting local events.
- Sponsor a locally focused newsletter which covers issues of local interest. Create this as a forum for local groups to use.
- Link to local clubs and groups on your business website.
- Talk to your local council – they are bound to have suggestions on ways you can connect with the local community.
- Create or support a local traders website.
- Collect change from customers for local charities. Track what you collect and keep your customers aware of the value reinvested in the community.
- Talk to local schools, do they have activities which you can support and for which they promote your business?
- Sponsor an annual encouragement award at a local school and present the award yourself.
- Talk to local health and nursing facilities. Do they have needs which you can meet with excess stock?
- Create a newcomer pack with other businesses and deliver this to families new to the area.
- Support at least one local sports club. This is best done through either uniform sponsorship or sponsoring a regular award.
- If appropriate to your product mix, offer products from local businesses and individuals.
- Offer to sit on local boards and committees for groups known for doing good work in the community.
- Offer space in-store for community groups to promote their work.
- Office space in front of your store for community groups to run a sales stall.
- Offer your front window a couple of time a year for a community group to promote their work.
- Support local causes – offer to have petitions available for customers to sign in your store.
- Write to the local newspaper about local issues – let your passion be seen.
- Run local events which connect with the local community. The nature of the event will depend on your business niche and skills of locals nearby. For example, you could sponsor a local art show.
- Price compare popular items in your shop with bigger businesses further away. Promote your savings for the local community as a point of difference.
Newsagents with consistently strong community connections can rely on this to deliver better business. The return for the community is greater support from the business for community activities.
I suspect there is a big difference between the community connection of a retail business in the city compared to a regional area. Regional businesses tend to be more community focused as they pull their customers from a smaller pool.
