Communities Need to Be Creative to Support Local Businesses
Local stores and shops in all communities have been threaten by large department stores for quite sometime. In 1841 Even Jordan left the state of Maine for Boston and went into the dry goods business for himself. Ten years later he formed a partnership with Benjamin Marsh. This is when the countries first “departmentalized” store was created.
They created a new way of having a shopping experience. They created an engaging atmosphere with amazing customer service and an extremely diverse range of products. Their goal was to make shopping an experience as they offered fashion shows, art exhibitions, and music concerts. Shopping at Jordan Marsh became a destination.
By 1890 they had a mailing list of 100,000 names. What is amazing they had a fully equipped mail-order department! One of the first of its kind to print a catalog. In the late 1940’s they began expanding their stores where their customers were moving - suburbs. This concept exploded in the 1950’s. In 1957 they had 940.
Years went by and they were filled with mergers and acquisitions. In 1995 all Jordan Marsh stores became Macy’s. Here it is 2020 and Macy’s is struggling to stay alive as are the local shops in most communities due to the crushing hands of on-line shopping.
Communities such as Lynn, MA was once filled with boutique shops of all kinds. Customers from all over the Northshore would flock to the streets of Lynn for almost anything they could imagine. It was always an adventure to see what new products could be found plus have a social experience meeting their friends. With the ease of transportation, thousands of customers would find their way to Lynn to shop. As people began moving out of Lynn to surrounding towns department stores like Jordan Marsh were built in Peabody that provided easier access by car and plenty of parking. Additional stores made their way to the shopping complex in Peabody, which drew even more customers. Amusement rides were added to provide entertainment for the children, which added to the shopping experience.
The competition was fierce for the local stores in most communities. Slowly many of the local stores went out of business. This was and is a big blow to communities. Part of what people want when moving to a community is to have an emotional connection with the community and the storekeepers. This is the formula that works for creating the personality of a community.
Today shopping is not an adventure or experience. It has become more of a task of going on-line searching for what you want. With a credit card and the touch of a few keyboards, you can purchase almost anything without human interaction. The challenges of Covid shopping and eating have even created a larger distance between the shop or restaurant from the customer. Orders are placed on-line and delivered to the doorstep. No human connection whatsoever.
Creative Thinking to Success
If communities are going to save their downtown shops and restaurants there will need to be some critical imaginative thinking that will bring the customers back to feeling good about have a shopping or dining experience.
At Generating Media our focus is to produce content both photographs and videos that provide an emotional connection to an experience. Communities must provide content that stimulates feelings. The internet is simply a manual process with no imagination or creativity. People need to feel connected to their communities.
If you're looking for a team that can assist your community to build a long term program that can help re-create and expand on the spirit and personality of your town or city, please contact us.
Below are just a few of the dozens of shops that help create the personality and spirit of the Town of Marblehead. It is these small businesses that shape the culture and draw of why people want to live in this seaport community.
So often do we hear comments like …”Marblehead is too difficult to get to.” or “There is no place to park.” Bottom line is Marblehead as a community has not built it’s “Brand” powerful enough for people to have the desire to want to overcome the challenges.
Take a good hard look at the islands of Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket. Talk about not easy to get to and difficult parking yet people travel from all over the world to visit these story book islands. To take it to an even higher level, consider the island of St. Barts. This is an island that most likely requires very expensive connecting flights - generally taking connecting flights from US to St. Martin and then another flight or ferry from St. Martin to St. Barts. Pretty much an all day event. Once getting there if you want to shop or go out to eat it brings the parking challenge to a very high level of anxiety.
We’re not implying that Marblehead has the appeal of Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, or St. Barts, but what we’re saying is these destinations have found ways to develop and build their “Brands” to bring out the desire to go there. Until Marblehead comes to terms with developing and promoting it’s brand the businesses will be on their own to survive.
By the way, when people go to a mall to shop how far do they have to walk from their parking space to actually getting inside the store of their choice? Generally it is quite the hike.