And then comes... Cyber Monday

"Hey maybe we could wear "Droid" costumes tomorrow!!!"

On the heels of Small Business Saturday comes yet another shopping gimmick... Cyber Monday marks the busiest online shopping day of the year. As a small business "brick & mortar" retailer this day is dark. I realize that it's tempting to stay home and shop in your PJ's.  But just remember that it's the strength of your local economy that most affects you and our town! 

Both short-term and long-term, shopping local comes back to you. Short-term, you get what you want and need because you build trusting relationships with people you know. Longer-term you help build a sustainable community. Improvements feed improvements. A stronger local economy feeds into an even stronger local economy. Your dollars spent locally continue to build your local economy. This local multiplier effect happens because of where the money goes after you spend it. For every dollar you spend locally, an average of 45 cents is reinvested locally. For every dollar you spend at a corporate chain owned and operated at a distance, only 15 cents is reinvested locally. Your money works harder for you and your neighbors when you spend it closer to home.

Another aspect of long-term sustainability for your local community is property values. Shopping locally boosts the value of your house. American Express OPEN found that houses in neighborhoods near successful, locally owned businesses gained 50% more in value when compared to the broader housing markets in those cities. That is real value for you and your family. (Data over 14-year period from American Express OPEN through Independent We Stand.)

While multitudes of consumers will take advantage of deep online discounts, they may be unaware cyber criminals also use the retail holiday to their advantage — and not for bargains. Attorney General Kathleen Kane is warning that Cyber Monday is a "powerful platform for scammers to steal money and identities," especially when shoppers are pressured into making hasty purchases by one-off offers and limited-time only sales.

Here are a few of Kane's tips for consumers to protect their identities - and their wallets - on  Monday. Follow these guidelines, keep calm and shop on:

Stick to shopping on trustworthy websites. Tempting deals from obscure websites might be a scam in disguise.

Protect your personal information. Read the site's privacy policy to understand how it will be used. If one isn't posted, it is a red flag that personal information may be sold to others without permission.

Use a credit card. Under federal law, charges may be disputed if an item is not received.

Confirm your online purchase is secure. On pages where you will enter a password, credit card or other personal information, look for the "s" in "https://" and in the lower-right corner for the "lock" symbol.

Understand the return policy.

Check your credit statement frequently. By the time the bill comes in the following month, a thief may have burned through your limit.

Beware of phishing (soliciting personal information through electronic communication). Legitimate businesses do not send emails claiming problems with an order or an account to lure a buyer into revealing financial information.

Protect your computer. Make sure your computer has the most recent updates for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a secure firewall.

Or... Maybe just consider skipping Cyber Monday altogether, and shop small and  local! Christmas is going to be here before you know it!

Brick and Mortar Vs. Online Retailing...

Brick and Mortar vs. Online Shopping

So... today was maybe the second or third time in the past year that a customer has come in and informed me that they purchased an item in our store, only to discover the same item at a deeply discounted price online. 

To say that this type of encounter is frustrating is a gross understatement. It's an all out assault on our business survival and yet I need to be sympathetic to the customer's point of view. They see the potential to save 30% or (in today's case) upwards of 40% off the retail price paid in our store. In this case it was an unprecedented discount level on a current, name brand item. If I tried to match that price, Hop Sing would have profited less than $9.00.

Impossible!  No legitimate retail business could survive on this profit margin.

So, I plead my case to this valued customer, who held a print-out of the discounted item she'd found online. I explained why I believe these types of online stores exist and how they can offer these ridiculously low prices. Hint: It's not exactly ethical.  While we brick and mortar- with our overhead expenses (rent, insurance, employees, losses etc.) and the necessary price margins that are vital to our business survival, cannot compete! Blah, blah, blah... Is this really a necessary part of the new retailer/customer experience? If you pay a lawyer to represent you, and later see a commercial advertising cheaper legal help, can you request a price match? If you buy a bike at Joe Blow's bike shop for $200, and overstock.com offers the same bike for $100 (because some brickn'mortar liquidated their inventory when "going out of business"), should Joe Blow's meet that price?  Don't exceptional customer services like wrinkle free-showroom merchandising and styling advice, not to mention- the luxury of trying on, touching and feeling the different textures, color matching, brand-mixing for unique one of a kind styling, accessorizing, sizing options, tweaking & perfecting all the elements until you get just-the-right-look and fit... mean anything anymore? What about walking out the door with your new clothing that day?  What about bolstering and supporting your local economy?  How about creating and keeping jobs in your hometown?  Trust me when I tell you that Hop Sing is as "Mom & Pop" as it gets.  Does the investment in inventory and heart on a boutique retailers' part hold any more value than a computer-generated sale, guiding a warehouse man to throw the package into a box with a return label? Can buying fashion be compared to ordering an item at the best price on, say... a book or new crock-pot on Amazon.com? 

If this is the future of shopping- I want off the train. I would never be interested in this vision of retail. I will never be interested in competing with this type of shopping! I'm sorry, but price-matching is not in my vocabulary.  If this deal-searching is what motivates a customer; I respect that. But Hop Sing cannot compete with online liquidators; will not compete... and I make no apologies for it. I work tirelessly to source and curate new collections every season, and provide 20 years of masterful styling experience to my customers at no additional cost.  I do this because I love the women who shop with me, and I'm passionate about styling them beautifully.  Can your online shopping cart do that? 

I hope the future of retail reserves a place for old school mind sets like mine. Perhaps I'll go the way of the dinosaurs... If, or when we come to that place in the road, I will be considering my next occupation.