Local commerce, also known as proximity commerce, has been used for many years by our ancestors, who bought their goods from small grocery stores, bakeries, butcher shops, greengrocers, among others.
It is important not to let local commerce die, since it provides employment for many people. The distribution cycle is much smaller, since stores and displays become a meeting point for people in the neighborhood.
The existence of small businesses helps neighborhoods stay alive; not only in economic terms, but also in terms of security. It is not the same to walk through empty streets as it is to walk through busy streets where consumers like you are buying the basics.
Local commerce is not only about selling products at a lower price, but it is also important to design a good shopping experience with displays for the consumer.
Currently, local commerce is facing different challenges far beyond the pandemic and the various changes in consumption patterns; That is why a transformation is necessary that integrates the most advanced technology and at the same time does not make us lose our essence: the interaction between people.
To ensure their existence in the future, it is extremely important to support small local businesses.
Consumers do not always consider the luxury of having several businesses nearby, since you can live a peaceful life without having to travel during the day to make your purchases.
When you buy from a small store, you are buying from your neighbor; That is why we must be more aware of where we invest our money since we are contributing daily with our purchases.
According to a recent IDC study of 24,000 consumers from 12 countries, after having a positive customer service experience, 25% of users are encouraged to leave an opinion and 18% renew their products and services with the same company 1
In many cases, local businesses offer products and services from the same area, instead of promoting those from other countries. Fortunately, a growing number of consumers have realized the benefits that our planet gains from local commerce, since local businesses bring sustainability to consumption and many of them consider this idea part of their identity.
As we mentioned at the beginning, local commerce is the joy of the streets of your neighborhood, since it is not only a meeting point with the neighbors but it also helps to make the atmosphere different and special.
They offer great human warmth, since they are the type of stores where employees easily recognize their frequent customers, they know what type of tastes they have and every time they return to the store they greet them by name.
The attention they have with each customer is of a very different level than large companies and shopping centers
The grocery stores appeared in the time of the Conquest, when ships arrived at the port with a large amount of merchandise.
According to data from INEGI, grocery stores employ 1 million 940 thousand 022 people, equivalent to 26.11% of total employment in the country's trade sector. .2
The word grocery was used when in the Spanish colonies of America,
Nowadays, grocers offer a greater quantity of products; all this with the intention of remaining in the market and offering quality and a much more direct treatment to their consumers, which makes these establishments more attractive.
< ... in more profitable spaces.
On the other hand, commerce has been evolving and today convenience stores are very common.
Convenience stores are also part of local commerce and are distinguished by being establishments that have a surface area of less than 500 m2, have business hours of more than 6 pm and are open to the public 365 days a year.
When we refer to a convenience store, we are talking about a place that meets the following characteristics:
According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, small convenience stores should ideally stock 2,800 to 3,200 items in up to 400 categories. .3
A store model that has had a lot of growth and acceptance in recent years is the Fresh Market, which operates under the specialty store modality and offers various categories of products such as: meat, seafood, sushi, prepared meals as well as bakery and floristry. It also offers other categories of products, such as dairy products, bulk products, coffee, candy, beer and wine.
The Fresh Market is a destination of unique experiences where you can find the pleasures of eating delicious, healthy and sustainable food. This is where nature is born, as the freshness of the fruits and vegetables go directly to your table. At the Fresh Market, eating healthy is also a pleasure. On the other hand, Fresh Markets are mostly concerned with leaving a mark on the planet.
Unlike convenience stores, Fresh Markets aim to ensure that shoppers lead a healthy, tasty and sustainable lifestyle.
Local commerce seeks to supply the daily needs of consumers, avoiding unnecessary travel and loss of time, since you can find it in your own neighborhood. By visiting local commerce, you will have certain benefits such as: personalized attention, caring for the environment, helping the community, among others.
Grocery stores, which have existed since the time of the Conquest, have evolved into convenience store formats and, more recently, into Fresh Markets. Each format has a reason for being and it is worth taking care of all of them.
Sources:
1.https://www.cyberclick.es/numerical-blog/6-estrategias-para-captar-y-fidelizar-clientes
2. https://www.inegi.org.mx/programas/ce/2019/
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