Shopping at local stores like Somerville Plaza is convenient and comes with many benefits. These shops depend on purchases from individuals to grow their businesses and pay taxes.

Unfortunately, the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic has affected them so much. In fact, it’s estimated that many small businesses in Australia have permanently closed, and many more are at risk of permanent closure.

To continue offering services, these small local shopping centers have created other means of survival.

Here are some ways local shops are thriving since lockdown:

1. They’ve Digitized Their Services

The lockdown has made it difficult for most people to visit brick-and-mortar retail shops. Only a few people are allowed to leave their houses at particular times of the day. This isn’t a good thing for local shops because it has reduced the numbers of customers.

Because of this, most shops have opted to digitize their services. Some already had websites before, but they’re making them more robust to attract more customers and gain an edge over their competitors. Through websites and social media platforms, these shops can now get orders from customers. Statistics show that some shop owners are delighted about this idea because it helps them market their goods and services cheaply.

1. They Encourage Positive Reviews

Online statistics show that most shoppers check reviews before buying products from stores. There’s no doubt that reviews are a better way of differentiating good shops from bad ones. With the lockdown in many countries, most people prefer shopping online. As a result, thriving local shopping centers encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on their sites.

This has helped them to improve their brand awareness campaign and persuade new customers to buy their products. However, it’s essential to know how to separate genuine reviews from fake ones as a customer. Some shops use conventional means like paying reviewers to get positive reviews.

1. They’re Offering Delivery Services

Most small local shopping centers never used to offer delivery services before the lockdown. But with this pandemic, they’ve adopted this service to reach their customers where they are. Despite the lockdown, customers still have to eat and buy essential goods. To keep their income steaming, these shops ensure that their customers don’t lack essential items by delivering them at their doorsteps.

Delivery services are pretty expensive because they require vehicles and more personnel. But shops with a more excellent customer base don’t feel the pinch of employing more workers or buying additional cars because the returns they get are more than what they invest. To ensure these delivery services are effective, these shops have added delivery buttons on their websites.

1. They’re Using Online Marketing Techniques

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have offered local shops an avenue to market their products widely. Initially, most of their Facebook pages were dormant, but the lockdown has led to increased activity on these platforms. As a result, they’ve retained most customers and acquired new ones.

The Bottom Line

Small local shopping centers were thriving before the lockdown. But even with the lockdown, they’ve invented better ways of serving their clients. These are a few techniques they’re using to thrive.