How AI, e-commerce, and shopping local come together with new tools.
May 28, 2024
This morning I greeted our team by saying, “Good morning, Scooby-Doos of website sleuthing.” I then wondered what the Scooby-Doo van would look like with the words “Shop Local” on it. In the past, one would spend time to make this mock-up in Photoshop. My colleague Mark was able to make the desired image in minutes using the AI tool Copilot and no Photoshop.
The ease with which one can use AI to make new images and envision ideas will impact retail. ...
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🖥️ Update your website content
🔗 Add a link leading to your Shop Local Store
📱 Promote your online and registry services on social media and in-store
🛍️ Sync with more brands to offer more products
⭐️ Ask customers to review your business
🔍 Update search terms to help boost your Google ranking
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How social media influencers with the help of Amazon are bypassing brick-and-mortar retail shops
May 23, 2024
Kiara Springs, a 25-year old, is part of a new retail trend, shares The New York Times. She sells about $10k/month online but doesn’t own a brick-and-mortar retail store, pay a landlord rent, go to the wholesale markets, or have a POS system. Her “sidewalk” to get traffic is TikTok, and her “POS” is Amazon. Her “stockroom” is the brand’s warehouse. She has an Amazon affiliate account and goods are drop shipped.
Thank you to Candace Johnson, owner of Cactus Flower in Fort Lauderdale, FL, for taking the time to leave a review about her experience as a Shop Local member. 😊
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"This review is definitely a 5 star plus. My association with Shop Local has been hugely beneficial to my business and to me personally. The concept is so perfect for this time in retail. Furthermore, the support and service offered are extraordinary. I am so grateful for Shop ...
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Use the live chat feature to quickly connect with a Shop Local coach
May 9, 2024
Your Shop Local Store has an updated feature: You can live chat with a Shop Local coach. All Shop Local members have access to live customer service seven days a week.
With the live chat feature, a Shop Local coach can quickly answer your questions and solve any problems your business may have.
Please follow the steps to access this feature:
Log in to your Shop Local account.
Roll over Management at the top of your page. In the drop-down menu under "Shop
Scott Galloway, author and business savant, recently wrote an ode to collaboration that I liked:
"Humans ... evolved hiding in the trees while stronger, faster, and more sharply clawed creatures roamed the savanna. So we developed a robust neurological system for identifying threats, gauging their severity, and responding quickly, often before we’re conscious of the threat level. But fight-or-flight wasn’t enough to shepherd us out of the forests. First we had to develop our ...
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How Shop Local's software quickly added Home Décor items to the online store for a popular College Station boutique
May 8, 2024
Shop Local welcomes new member Sabi Boutique in College Station, TX. Sabi Boutique has joined the Shop Local software platform to grow its online business. This fashion, accessories, and home decor shop is a destination for women to indulge and pamper themselves.
Sabi Boutique saved $3,020 and 4 weeks in labor on website product maintenance through the Shop Local platform. They have chosen Shop Local to expand their online store’s home decor and tabletop assortment. They will also offer...
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How online trends in the used car market parallel those in the wedding registry market. Online gift giving predicted to increase at the expense of in-store giving by 40% by 2030.
How online trends in the used car market parallel those in the wedding registry market. Online gift giving predicted to increase at the expense of in-store giving by 40% by 2030.
May 7, 2024
Jinjoo Lee in The Wall St. Journal shares how the used car market has improved in the last 20 years because much of it is now conducted online. When car buyers use the web, they are more likely to save money (saving about 2%), and dealers can, in theory, make more with dynamic pricing (about 2%)—thereby giving each party a win. Unlike 20 years ago, when we didn't have smartphones, today 95% of used car purchases start online. While 31% of used car purchases were completely in-person,...
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Cheers to National Small Business Week!! Let's celebrate our local retailers who bring charm and style to our communities. Thanks for all you do!
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Don't miss out on the party as we celebrate our fifth year in business! We're offering a fantastic 20% discount on all online purchases made on MAY 6TH ONLY, so you can treat yourself to something special. Shop now and take advantage of this amazing offer! PROMO CODE "5YEARS"
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At Shop Local, it's our job to help find ways to grow your online business. Part of that job is researching different registry software to see if it could be a good fit for your store.
If you offer a gift registry service, you may have heard of MyRegistry. MyRegistry is a third-party universal registry service that seemingly integrates with your primary website, stating that they "offer a suite of technology solutions [for retailers] that boost revenue, engage customers, and reduce ...
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We'll be at the Dallas show Thursday, June 20 and Friday, June 21, 2024. We'd love to meet with you and hear about your business.
Are you a brand or sales rep that uses Shop Local?
If so, we put together the following materials for sales reps and brands. Please share these materials with your retailers. Please print these for use during the show:
1. A flyer to sign up a retailer for the service. We have 111 partner brands, and you'll likely see your brand on this sheet. Here is ...
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Since we support brick-and-mortar retailers, we found Nike’s u-turn regarding retailers to be welcome. They initially planned to cut off 30% of stores but have since returned to them.
How an invitation from Syncing brand Mackenzie-Childs helped this retailer offer 2661 more products in only one day
April 22, 2024
We are pleased to announce that Olive Branch Gardens in Wallace, North Carolina, has joined Shop Local to grow their online business. Olive Branch Gardens is a florist and gift store with a limited selection of MacKenzie-Childs products on their primary Shopify website.
Olive Branch Gardens saved $2,740 and 4 weeks in labor on website product maintenance through the Shop Local platform. They have chosen Shop Local to expand their online store assortment and offer a gift registry program.
How a drawing on a bar napkin led to a software platform that processes trillions of calculations
April 15, 2024
In 2007, while sitting at the pub Moran’s with a beer, I drew a sketch on a napkin that would change our business. I drew a software model that would allow an indie store to instantly show (and sell) thousands of products online—without any labor. (The secret sauce: The respective brand would do the product update work for the merchants.) The immediate goal was to help my two retailers more efficiently load products onto their websites (and save me the boredom of doing it).
The Wall St. Journal shares how Amazon takes other companies’ ideas on a mass scale, such as from Trader Joe’s. The article is an excerpt from “The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power,” a new book by Dana Mattioli.