Tuesday, April 7, 2009
3/50 Project
With the current economic and job situation, there has been a growing movement to buy and support local business. One project that is getting considerable press is the 3/50 Project. I think this is an admirable project and one we should subscribe to. However, as Christian retailers the reasons to buy local are even greater then just the financial benefits. What are your thoughts on this? How would you improve it for your store? What could Parable do to help you with this?
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Having a locally owned store that has the selection of quality authors and Bibles available, with salespeople that have knowledge and understanding of our unique products- just not something that the secular chain stores are going to do. Love the idea of the 3/50 project. Educating our customers is part of our job- let's do it well!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea. We have participated in a local "business is bright" promotion that included a free TV spot. We have had more response to this free advertising then any of the paid TV or newspaper ads. I think it important to associate a "face" (in our store it is my beautiful wife) with the local business. After these ads began people she didn't know mentioned them to her when we are out in public. As we are almost always "dressed for work" (store logo on my shirt, she wears her apron) the people she meets immediately tie her face to our store. As Christian retailers I think putting a personality behind our stores is very important. Maybe a program can be designed to accomplish both goals, shop locally and recognize your local merchants.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a necessity! Our survival relys on it. We need to tell all our customers this message. People don't think we struggle until we are out of business. Our group needs to put something together quickly to get to all our customers (churches as well as individuals). We just put a piece out to our churches just this month to ask if they truly want us to exist. We gave them reasons why we are struggling. We need to inform the masses or they will continue to do business with other Big Box stores, Internet and Publishers and skip the local retailers. Money is the driving force, especially in todays economy that sends people elswhere. If we can inform them of the reasons as listed with the 3/50 project, I think we can make an impact. People won't change until we give them good reasons, and until this point we have not done so as a group of Christian Retailers.
ReplyDeleteOne-way we could begin to spread the “local” message is to include in upcoming catalogs and flyers information lines like "Shop Local! Every $100 spent at an independent local retail returns $68 to the same community. Online purchases return nothing." I notice "Parable" wouldn't be included in 3/50's definition of "Independent." While I understand 3/50's dilemma (i.e. Is Kregel Parable a locally owned entity or a Brand owned operation? - Hard to distinguish in every case - Burger King, Two Men and a Truck, Liberty Tax, etc.), I don't think 3/50 is a group we could align with until that is clarified/changed. I think if we can quote the same research statements that 3/50 and others are quoting to reinforce the importance of shopping "local" AND that "WE are local", it could be powerful.
ReplyDeleteJim