Highbrow Magazine - christmas toys https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/christmas-toys en The Benefits of Shopping Small This Holiday Season https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10277-benefits-shopping-small-holiday-season <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Tue, 11/26/2019 - 18:20</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1shopping.jpg?itok=S3dAt7ji"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1shopping.jpg?itok=S3dAt7ji" width="480" height="384" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>(<strong>NewsUSA</strong>) - Small Business Saturday casts an annual national spotlight each on independently owned businesses, which includes a wide variety of shopping options, from the mom-and-pop storefronts in your local community to home-based e-commerce businesses. Since its inception in 2010, Small Business Saturday spending has reached an estimated $103 billion, according to American Express.</p> <p> </p> <p>Motivated by the potential for growth, small businesses across the country are taking advantage of this movement with more enthusiasm year after year, given strong consumer response. GS1 US, an information standards organization that helps small brands identify their products for commerce, recently spoke with small business owners who have run successful Small Business Saturday campaigns. They discussed three big benefits to buying from small businesses this holiday season.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Unique Products </strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Consumers are hungry for a wide variety of unique products, which provides prime motivation for shoppers to support small businesses.</p> <p> </p> <p>"People shop small because it makes them feel good. It allows people to discover interesting products, and feel like they are helping a real person, as opposed to a big corporation," says Andrew Jacobs, CEO of JAM Paper and Envelope, an e-commerce paper company.</p> <p> </p> <p>According to a study by the NFIB and American Express last year, nearly two-thirds of online shoppers (65 percent) are likely to seek out small, independently owned retailers. This helps unique products from small brands compete right alongside products from larger, well-known brands.</p> <p> </p> <p>"It's so important for small businesses to be recognized in order to compete with big businesses," says Lisa Burginger, founder of Qubits Toy, Inc., a company that makes colorful building sets for kids. "For our company, it's our busiest time of the year."</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Community Support </strong></p> <p> </p> <p>For many consumers, shopping small is driven by the desire to support their local communities. When consumers spend $100 at a local business, roughly $68 stays in their local economy, according to a recent Civics Economy study. The local impact, which helps benefit food, service and civic organizations within the community, could be 50 percent larger than a similar purchase from a regional or national retailer.</p> <p> </p> <p>"I believe people want to support their communities," says Allison White, founder of Scout Cart, a unique personal utility-cart company. "They often know the owners of local small businesses, and these small businesses often provide employment opportunities for the young adults in our families."</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2shopping.jpg" style="height:427px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>True Connections </strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Small businesses can use the extra consumer attention to nurture brand loyalty beyond just one day. According to the 2018 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, 96 percent of consumers who reported shopping on Small Business Saturday say the day makes them want to shop "small" all year long, not just during the holiday season.</p> <p> </p> <p>"Small businesses can give you special services, discounts, and one-to-one customer service that big businesses can't always offer," says Burginger.</p> <p> </p> <p>Increasingly, shopping is about a shared experience -- the small businesses that create memorable moments for consumers will likely experience growth.</p> <p> </p> <p>"The next generation is looking for more than just a product; they want an experience," says Travis Wayne, product manager, TEKLYNX, a barcode software company that is certified as a GS1 US Solution Partner, a program that helps small businesses find qualified partners to help them reach more consumers.</p> <p> </p> <p>"When you walk into a hardware store, for example, or if you shop online, it's more about personalizing that experience and ensuring that the consumers get what they need. Some businesses teach instructional courses on a product, or supply some kind of educational information. It's about going above and beyond consumer expectations with the hopes of increasing the sale and maintaining a customer for life."</p> <p> </p> <p>Taking advantage of Small Business Saturday is ultimately a way small brands are setting themselves up for growth. Beyond the holiday season, businesses of all sizes need to think strategically to succeed in a competitive retail landscape. Visit <a href="https://www.gs1us.org/small-business?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=pr&amp;utm_campaign=smallbusiness-newsusa-ambitionstudy">GS1</a> to access research on the ambitions and challenges of small businesses, watch videos featuring entrepreneurs, and learn more about their growth journeys.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.newsusa.com/articles/article/the-benefits-of-shopping-small-this-holiday-season.aspx">NewsUSA -</a>- <strong>Copyright-Free Syndication.</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>--Image Sources:</strong></p> <p><strong><em>--<a href="https://about.newsusa.com/ArticleJPGS/GS1HolidayShoppingC.jpg">NewsUSA</a></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>--<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sergesegal/4160021357">Sergei Galyonkin</a> (Flickr, Creative Commons)</em></strong></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/small-businesses" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">small businesses</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/small-business-saturday" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">small business saturday</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/holiday-shopping" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">holiday shopping</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/christmas-toys" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">christmas toys</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/support-small-businesses" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">support small businesses</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mom-and-pop-shops" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mom and pop shops</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/american-express" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">american express</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Editors</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Tue, 26 Nov 2019 23:20:22 +0000 tara 9192 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10277-benefits-shopping-small-holiday-season#comments