SUMMERSIDE – If you can’t beat ’em join ’em.
That may be the new mission statement for local businesses if they want to compete successfully in the marketplace.
The advent of online shopping has taken its toll on local business sales, and rather than try to fight the trend, retailers are being advised to join in.
Rudy Smith, president of the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce, says the way the world does business is ever-changing and the business community needs to change with it.
“Two sensitive issues right now are buying online . . . and buying south of the border,” Smith said. “With today’s technology and people having busier schedules, it’s a reality that the general population is buying online.”
The key, Smith said, is creativity.
“What we’ve got to do is be a little more creative ourselves,” the chamber president said. “Sell our stuff online if possible and look for different markets that way. It’s reality and it’s not going to go away.”
Youths and young adults are among the major consumers in the retail market and they see shopping in a different light than their parents and grandparents. While many of the older generations are distrustful of putting personal and financial information on the Internet, young consumers are not.
“People are putting their personal lives on Facebook, Smith noted. “The fear is not there. That’s a reality that the business community is going to have to try to take advantage of. You just can’t have you retail storefront anymore. There’s got to be websites and there’s got to be IT technology to go worldwide.”
The onus is on the individual businessperson to determine if establishing a website and going global is good for them. Smith added help is available, but it comes with a cost.
“They’ve got to do an analysis and see how much their business is being impacted – to see if it’s something that suits their business.”