Ever since the pandemic started, numerous families started taking budgeting more seriously since expenses are tight due to lack of supplies and other economic changes. Back then, it was easy to get your household needs in bulk through big box stores since it was convenient, cheap, and accessible. However, times have changed drastically, and it isn't as simple and feasible as that anymore.
Introduction
Big-box stores or big-box retailers are retail establishments, which usually have numerous chains of stores specializing in offering various products in bulk. This retail business's counterpart is small family-owned businesses that are smaller retail stores usually found in local shops.
Two of these establishments offer products you need, but small family-owned businesses are more advantageous for numerous reasons in the time of a pandemic.
To truly understand why small family-owned businesses win over big-box stores, you must understand the concepts of price, quantity, experience, and fees. These aspects are essential in deciding whether to shop big or shop home at your local community business.
Benefits of Buying From Smaller Retailers ?
While it's true that buying from big-box stores has its benefits, purchasing from smaller retailers would be the smarter choice you could make today.
When put into statistics, purchases from smaller retailers actually yield a cheaper expense rate over time than from big-box stores. This is because of small retailers' advantage to control product, price, and quality, three things buying from big-box stores may not have.
Quality control
It's a given fact that a smaller quantity means better quality, and that's true most of the time when it comes to shopping at smaller retailers. Often, when you shop at a small family-owned business, things are a bit more personal, especially when they handle sales.
For example, you want to buy massage guns for your gym or personal use, like the Synca KITTA Percussive Massage Gun. Since these are pieces of technological hardware, you want them to be in perfect shape, ready for use.
The fact that you can buy them off in small family-owned businesses means you can ensure the quality of these pieces one by one.
Quality control could be attained here, which greatly reduces the unnecessary processes of returning faulty machinery like buying in bulk from big-box stores. Also, since these sales are more likely to be handled by the owners themselves, trust that they want to keep you as a loyal customer. Additionally, since they want to keep you loyal, they'll make sure to achieve perfection.
Quantity and price
Other than quality control, buying from small family-owned businesses could also help you with storage, use, and budgeting.
The first few weeks of the pandemic showed the world that buying in bulk often gets wasted because not all of the supplies get used. Take, for example, face masks, toilet papers, and other medical equipment wasted in the first instances of COVID. Although it may be true that it's cheaper to buy in bulk, you'll only get your money's worth if you use up all the supplies.
Due to overwhelming supplies being greater than usage, the unused portions often go to waste, and in the long run, they'd be more of a loss. This is why shopping from small family-owned businesses is the way to go in these times since it's cheaper and more efficient.
Customer Experience and Unnecessary Fees
You now know the economic side of the benefits shopping at small family-owned businesses could give you. It's safe to say that there's a certain feeling you get from shopping at a smaller retailer since it feels much more connected. Rather than being another customer to big-box stores, to small retailers, you're literally the lifeblood of the business.
Besides a better experience, you can save yourself a couple of bucks to shopping in these places.
Amazing customer service
Starting off as a small family-owned business means that every customer counts since they're more than your customers; they're one of your firsts. Over time as the business grows bigger, you'd still develop connections with your customers, which is how they become return customers.
With this, know that shopping and being a regular at a small retailer means that the management would strive to make your transaction worthwhile.
From making sure your orders are tracked to getting only the best for your purchases, small family-owned businesses ensure nothing but perfection the majority of the time.
For example, since massage chairs are in demand, big-box stores would offer you what's highly rated since that's normally how big retailers work, make sales. However, in small and more personal small retailers, management may take the time to ask for your specifications from shiatsu foot massagers to lumbar massagers.
No more membership fees
Arguably one of the biggest perks of choosing small family-owned businesses over big-box stores is cutting off the unnecessary expenses.
Big retailers like Costco often charge a fee for membership in their stores, and that would set you back up to $120 a year.
Normally, this would pay for itself, considering that you'll get a better deal on bulk orders, but again, this would only apply if you're not alone. If you buy in bulk and you're the only one using up the purchases, supplies may get unused, and you'll be buying at a loss.
Furthermore, if you're not an avid buyer in the stores you paid for membership, you won't be putting that fee into good use. If this is your case, you're better off making your transactions in smaller retailers.
In Summary
It always boils down to a matter of choice whether you shop in small retailers or big-box stores, depending on what you'll be needing. However, because of the pandemic's unfortunate circumstances and the rise of learning how to budget, small family-owned businesses are the better choice.
Not only will you be enjoying benefits from price, quality, and experience, you'll be helping the local economy circulate more funds too, so it's a win-win scenario. If you want to talk more about this topic or the products we offer, just call us at (833) 627-7245 or send us a message using our live chat.
