As a retailer you spend your time understanding what your customers want. You’re either setting trends in your sector or riding the wave of demand.
That’s your expertise and supplying what your customers want and need is the lifeblood of retail.
It’s a time consuming job, and if you’re running a small independent business as well as being head of buying, you’re likely to be head of HR, accounts, payroll, cleaning and tea maker in chief.
So we wanted to lend our smaller customers a little hand by getting a handle on the strength of feeling among the public for independent shops and where consumers choose where they shop.
And the good news for small business is you could be sitting on marketing gold.
Across Ireland the local, independent stores are hugely popular. In an online survey of 1,000 adults, two thirds said shopping locally, and supporting local business is important to them. Even more, 72% of adults, said they wanted to support their community by shopping locally.
In the survey, conducted by Yonder on behalf of Elavon, adults aged 18 and over were asked whether they agreed or not to a range of shopping locally statements.
These included: shopping locally is important to me; I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street; supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally; it doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price; I only think about convenience when I shop; and, I want to shop locally to support my community.
Paul Dunne, Head of Sales in Ireland at Elavon Europe, said: “If you’re an independent shop owner, this independence could be your secret weapon.
“With two thirds of people saying shopping locally is important to them, it is clearly something that needs highlighting.
“Make the most of it by working with your community – club together with other like-minded business, host events with local bands or artists, or simply get to know independent businesses in your area.
“Being able to direct customers to the right place when you can’t help them is a really simple way of increasing loyalty. And of course that can be mutually beneficial if you’re supporting another local, independent business.”
We also wanted to know how or even if people actively sought out local businesses. We asked if people knew where to look, or if they searched online.
Here we see a little more than half (52%) of adults said they search online to find local businesses near them.
But more than two thirds of adults said they don’t know where to look to find local business.
Here you can play to your strengths. Make it clear in any signage or on your website (or both!) that you’re an independent, local business.
Highlight how long you’ve been part of the community and support other local independent businesses.
If there is a shop local campaign already established in your area, consider joining it, and if not, consider setting one up.
In our survey, almost a third of Irish consumers said they care that there are independent shops in their area. Use this knowledge to your advantage – work with other independents and let your customers know what they getting or could lose.
So while it can be daunting competing with the big, major retailers, take heart in knowing that most people want to see a thriving high street.
“We all benefit from choice,” says Paul. “This choice will create an interesting, vibrant high street.
“The big retailers have their place and so do the smaller ones. Knowing that consumers want to support independent shops can help those smaller ones play to their strengths.”
Source: Yonder conducted an online sample of 1,002 adults 18+ in Ireland between 27 February and 1 March 2024. Data is weighted to be representative of the known population of Ireland. Yonder is a founding member of the member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
Question: To what extent, if any, do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
|
|
Shopping locally is important to me |
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street |
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me |
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me |
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally |
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Base |
1002 |
1002 |
1002 |
1002 |
1002 |
1002 |
|
NET: Agree |
67% |
13% |
52% |
13% |
66% |
51% |
|
Strongly agree |
21% |
4% |
14% |
3% |
19% |
19% |
|
Agree |
45% |
10% |
38% |
10% |
47% |
32% |
|
Neither agree nor disagree |
25% |
22% |
25% |
18% |
23% |
26% |
|
Disagree |
6% |
35% |
15% |
37% |
7% |
19% |
|
Strongly disagree |
2% |
28% |
7% |
31% |
3% |
3% |
|
NET: Disagree |
8% |
63% |
22% |
68% |
10% |
22% |
|
NET: Disagree |
8% |
63% |
22% |
68% |
10% |
22% |
|
I don't know |
0% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
0% |
Base
Shopping locally is important to me
1002
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
1002
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
1002
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
1002
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
1002
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
1002
NET: Agree
Shopping locally is important to me
67%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
13%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
52%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
13%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
66%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
51%
Strongly agree
Shopping locally is important to me
21%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
4%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
14%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
3%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
19%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
19%
Agree
Shopping locally is important to me
45%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
10%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
38%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
10%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
47%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
32%
Neither agree nor disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
25%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
22%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
25%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
18%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
23%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
26%
Disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
6%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
35%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
15%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
37%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
7%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
19%
Strongly disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
2%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
28%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
7%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
31%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
3%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
3%
NET: Disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
8%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
63%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
22%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
68%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
10%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
22%
NET: Disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
8%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
63%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
22%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
68%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
10%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
22%
I don't know
Shopping locally is important to me
0%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
1%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
1%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
1%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
1%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
0%
I don't know
|
|
I only think about convenience |
I want to shop locally to |
|---|---|---|
|
Base |
1002 |
1002 |
|
NET: Agree |
33% |
72% |
|
Strongly agree |
8% |
23% |
|
Agree |
26% |
50% |
|
Neither agree nor disagree |
30% |
21% |
|
Disagree |
27% |
4% |
|
Strongly disagree |
9% |
2% |
|
NET: Disagree |
36% |
6% |
|
NET: Disagree |
1% |
0% |
Base
I only think about convenience
when I shop
1002
I want to shop locally to
support my community
1002
NET: Agree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
33%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
72%
Strongly agree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
8%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
23%
Agree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
26%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
50%
Neither agree nor disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
30%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
21%
Disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
27%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
4%
Strongly disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
9%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
2%
NET: Disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
36%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
6%
NET: Disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
1%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
0%
31 January 2025
Helping thousands of customers around the world grow their business through payments
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Copyright© 2024 | U.S. Bank Europe DAC. Registered in Ireland – Number 418442. Registered Office: Block F1, Cherrywood Business Park, Dublin 18, D18 W2X7, Ireland.
U.S. Bank Europe DAC, trading as Elavon Merchant Services, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Helping thousands of customers around the world grow their business through payments
Customer service and support
We’re here to help!
Customer service: 0818 20 21 20
8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
Elavon technical support: 0818 30 31 30
24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Opayo product support: 01 240 8731
24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Copyright© 2024 | U.S. Bank Europe DAC. Registered in Ireland – Number 418442. Registered Office: Block F1, Cherrywood Business Park, Dublin 18, D18 W2X7, Ireland.
U.S. Bank Europe DAC, trading as Elavon Merchant Services, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
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