Life is short, eat dessert first. This slogan highlighted on a sign in JC Patissier in Thorold could be connected to the slow shopping trend in Canada. What is slow shopping?
According to News Canada, slow shopping is a retail trend that involves local businesses making their customers feel more comfortable taking their time to browse in the store. Slow shopping is a trend that I feel fits nicely with the Thorold business community.
Maybe our local stores or the Thorold Business Improvement Area can add comfortable seating, customers could feel less pressure to impulse buy. Local stores could host community or charitable events. Slow shopping in Thorold could be a way to build connections with customers and create a sense of trust – which can ultimately lead to more business.
Whether you currently operate a local business in Thorold – Niagara or it’s a future goal, there are many resources and initiatives that can help you find small-business success. A media release from News Canada offers three ways for us to dive in:
Source local
Work with local businesses for your own operations when you can. That means finding your raw materials, business resources and labour from the community when it’s available. We need to spread this commitment with our local business community to help bolster this connection with each other. You can host informative sessions for consumers about your local production or participate in shared promotions with these partner businesses. These opportunities provide consumers with a way to engage with a business without the pressure of immediate purchasing.
Be informed
In 2020, the median after-tax income of households in Thorold was $73,500, a change of 17.0% from $62,800 in 2015
Statistics Canada
With an increase of 17 percent on the median after-tax income of Thorold households, this surge in our local demographics puts the city at highest ranking among and its neighbouring census subdivisions, 2015 and 2020. From this data, we could say local businesses can target relatively higher income households in Thorold.
Learn the ins and outs of your audience and identify potential growth in the community. Up-to-date census data can be a valuable resource, offering insights on community demographics, characteristics, growth and trends that can be applied directly to your business plan. It can tell you if a community is growing quickly like Thorold, and what groups the population is made of so local businesses can prepare for their needs and purchasing power.
Tap into data on Thorold as one of Ontario’s fastest growing cities. We can expect the demographics in Thorold have shifted over the years. So local business marketing plans should match up with the current, growing population served.
Once you know your audience, you’ll know more about how they prefer to shop. For example, a community with a strong senior demographic like Henderson’s Pharmacy may prefer a premium in-store experience, while a millennial demographic may prefer booking appointments or buying products online.
Get involved
Reach your customer base where they’re at with a sponsorship of a local team, event or club. For example, the 30th Annual Henderson’s Pharmacy Tournament shows how the local business gives back to the community it has served since 1939. The strongest ones are partnerships with a clear connection to each other, so do your research and consider where and how your business can reach your target audience. It’s a valuable all-in-one way to support your community, market your business and engage with your customers by building relationships. This low-pressure brand visibility is a valuable tool for building trust and creating long-term customers.
Overall, feeding into your community and putting customers first is a valuable way to nourish your own business, too.
Find more information on the Thorold census data go to the Statistics Canada website.