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I own a gift shop in a small town with very few independent options beyond the chain stores and have noticed this year especially many friends/acquaintances/neighbors have not supported my business in terms of shopping for birthdays, etc and now, Christmas. I'm feeling increasingly annoyed so am wondering am I being petty, or would you feel offended too?
I own a gift shop in a small town with very few independent options beyond the chain stores and have noticed this year especially many friends/acquaintances/neighbors have not supported my business in terms of shopping for birthdays, etc and now, Christmas. I'm feeling increasingly annoyed so am wondering am I being petty, or would you feel offended too?
It's business, not personal. Until it's personal.
Has something else changed in your life or your relationships? Have you been posting a ton of political stuff on Facebook? lol
It is odd. Assuming they are still buying gifts SOMEWHERE, I think I would re-evaluate my inventory rather than getting offended.
If some of them are Really friends, then ask. You might not like the answer, but true friends will deliver the hard truth.
Could be anything from pricing (or lack of disposable income), to inventory to who knows what. Small town America is fickle, I saw a business shut down by one petty person spamming facebook just a few months ago. 100% lies, and blatant lies at that, but all it took was rumor.
It may be that your prices are too high, or it may be that they are looking for things that you don't sell. Or it may be that they are doing more online shopping than they did before. Or it may be that they are giving fewer gifts than they used to. Or it could be a combination of any of the above.
Have your sales declined overall, not just considering friends, acquaintances, and neighbors? If it's close friends that have stopped buying from you, have you considered talking to them about it?
Has something else changed in your life or your relationships? Have you been posting a ton of political stuff on Facebook? lol
It is odd. Assuming they are still buying gifts SOMEWHERE, I think I would re-evaluate my inventory rather than getting offended.
The people I speak of have similar outlooks politically so know it's not that and my inventory isn't different than it has been so perhaps it's economic? It's been tough here in FL post-hurricane as I think there has been a lot of unplanned expenses due to damage not covered by insurance, since hurricane deductibles are so high.
In addition to wondering if you've ticked them off, with political stuff...
Have you perhaps forgotten to remind them you're still there? It's good for small businesses to have a very vocal local presence - participate in local facebook groups, show up to small town events. Not just trying to sell them stuff... by being part of the spirit of the town.
If some of them are Really friends, then ask. You might not like the answer, but true friends will deliver the hard truth.
Could be anything from pricing (or lack of disposable income), to inventory to who knows what. Small town America is fickle, I saw a business shut down by one petty person spamming facebook just a few months ago. 100% lies, and blatant lies at that, but all it took was rumor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WellShoneMoon
It may be that your prices are too high, or it may be that they are looking for things that you don't sell. Or it may be that they are doing more online shopping than they did before. Or it may be that they are giving fewer gifts than they used to. Or it could be a combination of any of the above.
Have your sales declined overall, not just considering friends, acquaintances, and neighbors? If it's close friends that have stopped buying from you, have you considered talking to them about it?
The more I talk about it the more I think it could be the lack of disposable income thing due to the hurricane this year and know the few other small retailers here are suffering a bit too. I just didn't connect the dots thinking friends/acquaintances might have tried harder to support me by even at least stating the fact or making more conservative purchases.
The people I speak of have similar outlooks politically so know it's not that and my inventory isn't different than it has been so perhaps it's economic? It's been tough here in FL post-hurricane as I think there has been a lot of unplanned expenses due to damage not covered by insurance, since hurricane deductibles are so high.
Well, I think you've absolutely hit on something. When you say you have a "gift shop," do you mean inventory that is more tchotchkes and/or artwork? You might hear an identical lament from gift shop owners in the fire areas of California. After a year like this, people may be thinking in terms of more practical gifts if they are able to gift at all.
I also own a small shop and never want to depend on my friends buying or not buying. Don't even think about it. If people in general aren't buying, look at your inventory and see if you're changing it up often enough for people to come back and see what's new.
And since you're in the post hurricane area, are there other things you could carry that would help people replace necessities that they lost?
OP, it may be that some of your former patrons have opted to buy online this year. Hang in there, though, if you can; I'm all for supporting locally-owned businesses! They're what give a town its local color, and provide fun shopping experiences.
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Until it's personal. 
Hang in there, though, if you can; I'm all for supporting locally-owned businesses! They're what give a town its local color, and provide fun shopping experiences. 
