Urge Consumers to Shop Local This Holiday Season

Because the holiday season is right around the corner, consumers will be emptying their wallets at retail stores across the country.

Last November and December alone, consumers spent more than $616.1 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation.

The holiday hustle and bustle seduces consumers who are determined to find the best deals, no matter what. Market to shoppers who find value in local stores that offer excellent deals and customer service while simultaneously allowing them to avoid the big-box shopping madness.

Explain to customers that purchasing products from your local home improvement store keeps twice as much money in the local community than if they buy the same products at a big-box store.

That information and the numbers below come from the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and Independent We Stand’s Home Sweet Home Study. 

Applied to Retail: First, ask the question, “Do my customers know I am locally owned and operated?”

NRHA found through a recent Google poll of 1,000 consumers that more than 36 percent of consumer respondents did not know Do it Best, True Value and Ace Hardware stores are locally owned and operated and more than 22 percent of respondents have never heard of these stores. These statistics show that while you may think your store or co-op brand are well known, many people who prefer to shop local may not know your business is locally owned.

To help you share the data from the Home Sweet Home Study and the impact your local store has on the community, NRHA and Independent We Stand created a marketing toolkit that includes posters, shelf talkers, bag stuffers, press releases and other elements. Download this free marketing toolkit now!

In addition, NRHA and Independent we stand created a free Holiday Signage Package that is similar to the toolkit mentioned above, but includes store signage specific to Black Friday and the holiday season. Use the Holiday Signage Package in your store today!