Sep 21, 2017

Shoppers plan to spend 25 percent more at small businesses next year, new study finds

More than a quarter of U.S. consumers say that they’re likely to shop at small businesses more often in 2018 than they did in 2017, according to a recent survey from Vistaprint (NASDAQ:CMPR).

Consumer shopping trends for 2018

The survey results, which the company released today, offer several takeaways that should have small business owners feeling optimistic about the future. In addition to just under 27 percent of consumers saying that they’re likely to shop with small businesses even more in 2018, 75 percent also indicated that they’re likely to do at least some of their holiday shopping with small businesses this year.

Vistaprint conducted the survey with 1,504 adult consumers in the U.S., with results weighted against the U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey. So the panel provides an accurate representation of the population as a whole.

In addition to finding those positive trends for small business owners, the survey could also offer some potential tips for small businesses looking to appeal to more consumers. For instance, 60 percent of shoppers prefer to buy or interact with small businesses in stores. But 67% said it’s also important to them that small businesses have a website. So small shops can potentially attract the most business by having both an online and offline presence.

Additionally, the use of social media among small businesses is not considered to be as important to consumers as having a website. But shoppers do seem to take personalized and friendly service seriously; 69 percent said they would want to shop with a small business more if the owner knew them by name.

Overall, the results show a lot of positive trends for small businesses. Consumers seem to value the great service and commitment to the local community that shopping small offers. So even though many large businesses can offer low prices and easy to use websites, small businesses can potentially stay relevant by focusing on those factors that consumers value most when shopping with small businesses.

Original article can be found here.