A sad story at the end of this week. A famous music store in Grenoble is closing its doors. The reason? Competition from online sales, according to the store manager.
This kind of event saddens me: for me, setting the web against local retail does not really make sense; quite the opposite, it is a missed opportunity. Many shopkeepers, through lack of knowledge or overconfidence, have seen the web as a threat or a passing fad. Many of them failed to seize the opportunity to grow their business. Others did, and are today the big winners. Too bad for those who want to try out their guitar in a medium-sized provincial town before buying it.
And yet… it is much easier for a retailer with an already established business to get started online: they have brand awareness, they can rely on existing volume and a loyal customer base. “Local” SEO, an online store with preferential terms, using social media to create and promote events, developing local services… but no, it’s all the evil web’s fault.
Retailers, react: embrace the web, you can succeed too.
