Bringing trusted businesses and the community together
Nov 2015
TheVoiceOfHitchin
The People Behind the Businesses Pg.2
Our Achievers Club
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Dates for your Diary
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Etail Therapy There is a quiet revolution happening on our High Streets. Traditional retailers who have seen a drop in their footfall over the last decade are fighting back by going online. Now, some of you may be thinking that this is the final nail in our High Street’s coffin, but read on and you may well be pleasantly surprised… In 2008 John Lewis added ‘Click and Collect’ to their online shopping experience. They recognised that rather than replacing their traditional bricks and mortar stores, their website was just another way their customers could buy from them. They understood that customers did still want to physically visit their stores, but they also wanted to ensure the product that they wanted to buy was in stock. Interestingly, 38% of people who use Click and Collect make an additional purchase when picking up their order. During the last 7 years, John Lewis hasn’t been closing stores, they’ve been opening them! They’re online offering hasn’t detracted from their bricks and mortar stores, it’s supported them. It’s even been suggested that the online offering has increased footfall not decreased it.
That’s great, but what’s that got to do with my shop? On average, sales through e-commerce have increased by over 10% year on year and now make up 15% of all retail sales. Total online sales are set to hit £60 Billion by the end of 2015 so if you’re not capitalising on that, you are definitely missing out!
and processing to fulfil their digital sales. Independent retailers however, are perfectly positioned for online sales. ‘Click and Collect’ or ‘Return to Store’ are highly attractive to consumers, with 62% of consumers saying they would buy online if they could return in store. Simple to manage if you have one or two shops carrying the same stock; a logistical nightmare when you have 100s of shops all carrying slightly different stock. Don’t think that online sales only applies to traditional retail either. The gift voucher opens up digital sales to everybody; from restaurants to garages, spas to physiotherapists! Many independent retailers have shied away from going online, and understandably so. Just the investment required to build the website in the first place can stop most budding ‘Etailers’ in their tracks. Then of course, there’s managing the order processing and payments and of course, that all important traffic to the site. The good news is, getting your business online really doesn’t have to be that hard. There are cost effective platforms out there designed to allow independents to have an e-commerce offering without large upfront investments or crippling commissions. thebestof can get you up and running with your very own online shop, advise you on the best way to take the plunge and then support you in your ‘Etailer’ journey with the right local marketing and printed material. All you need to do is have products sell, a desire to grow your business and of course, a membership to thebestof.
Buy Local, Buy Online, Buy Now! Many chain stores have initially struggled with managing their online offerings, having to invest in separate warehousing
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If you’d like to start selling online but are not sure what to do next, just get in touch. You’ll be surprised just how easy it is!
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