This morning, the Today Show did a segment about how to save money this holiday season. As expected, the usual items were on the list--pay in cash instead of credit cards, discuss pulling back on gift giving as a family, begin with a budget, etc.Two suggestions, however, nearly had my head spinning like a whirling dervish: (a) that consumers should begin shopping online right away, for as much as they can, since that’s the best places to find great gifts, and (b) that consumers should go to local stores to look at items in person, then return to the internet to place their order or pass along the websites as their wish lists.
Yes, you read that last part correctly. Please use your community stores as free showrooms for online retailers.
I can't begin to tell you how that made my blood boil...especially since this segment came on the heels of a piece about the shortage of seasonal retail jobs due to the economy's impact on small business.
Duh...but how about the impact of the media on small business?
Newsflash. It's not just the economy that's kicking retailers in the teeth. It's you. It's your continual recommendations to forego local retailers and jump straight to the internet. It’s forgetting that a community is the sum of its parts, not just the residential side. And it’s playing cheerleader for the very thing doing the most damage to independent businesses while bemoaning their disappearance.
I’m headed to the national Gift and Home Trade Association conference today, where I’ll be presenting two seminars to vendors and reps about the concerns of independent retailers this weekend.
Might add a section about stemming the tide of bad press, as long as I have their ear.
I’ll post from Sanibel, where it’s at least 40 degrees warmer than it is here....
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