Lynchburg Business

Mom and Pop Shops: How Do They Stand Out?

Issue: April 2010 by Amanda Sullivan in Inside The Magazine, Retail

We’ve seen the small businesses that are planted along the side of the road on our daily commutes. Some of us have even considered deviating from our regular shopping routine to take a chance on the lesser-known mom and pop shops that bring charm and personality to the area. But for some reason, many more never try out these locally-owned businesses, instead choosing to frequent the one-stop-shop stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Of course, places like those are hard to argue with; the appeal of a larger chain store is obvious: it’s convenient to a busy lifestyle and often more affordable than locally-owned stores in an age where everyone is looking to save a buck or two. But for a smaller town like Lynchburg, the rise of the big box stores seems to threaten a way of life for local business owners.

If you’ve driven on Old Forest Road lately, you’ve likely noticed that Lynchburg will soon gain another Wal-Mart, while Forest is gaining a new Kroger on Route 221 (set to open in April), according to Kroger spokesman Carl York. While these new additions add a significant amount of jobs to the local community, some argue that they also detract from what we have already here—homegrown mom and pop shops who are at risk of being put out of business every time another retail giant moves into town.

The region is fortunate to have a treasure trove of unique, small businesses, including little golden nuggets such as clothing and design stores, spas, sporting stores, restaurants and stores that feature locally-grown foods. In fact, many of the local business owners work hard to provide their customers with an exceptional experience and a diversity of products that may not be found in larger chains.

“We take pride in personal service and also bringing in designers who produce mostly American-made products,” Sakina’s boutique owner, Sakina Claytor, said. “Being in a very small town like Lynchburg, I am very careful about not duplicating a designer so our community can have a variety of choices. No sense in two stores in the same town offering the same lines. It will only encourage our clients to shop out-of-town so they get something different. We are a destination store with an amazing day spa on the lower level that creates an escape for the client—a local retreat.”

Although stores like Sakina’s offer specialty products and a unique customer service experience, many locally-owned stores still struggle to compete with big brand stores. For example, The Spa located at Sakina’s must compete with larger salons like Cost Cutters in Wal-Mart, which leaves them feeling the pinch when customers choose to also buy from larger retail stores rather than spending their cash with them.

“I think one the biggest problems we see here is that we don’t have a lot of shopping,” Joellen Perkins, co-owner of The Spa, said. “Because all of our dollars are being sent to other cities, and if we can start supporting our local economy by buying products from these smaller chains, we’re going to see more availability in products that a consumer can get their hands on.”

Finding ways for a small shop to stand out among mega-stores may be a difficult task to accomplish. In response, many of the small businesses in the region have adopted a similar strategy: provide customers with excellent customer service and products.

Making sure that customers are well taken care of is an essential component to Outdoor Trails’ General Manager, John Futrell, whose father started the outdoor specialty store in 1995. He now runs the shop with his wife, Andrea, who is the manager.

“Customer service and product selection is what sets us apart from ‘big box’ stores,” Futrell said. “We provide a higher quality product. We definitely sell higher-end products.”

For The Spa’s part, they work to set themselves apart from chain salons by offering customers a one-on-one experience that many do not receive at larger businesses. Buying the right type of hair care or body product can be  a confusing or frustrating experience for many people, but that’s where Perkins says they get the chance to shine.

“We can offer support with the product, how to use the product, assistance in purchasing the [right] product,” she explained. “You’re not going to get that from your larger retailers.”

Perkins also added that buyers should be conscious of the fact that sometimes the quality of the products purchased at a large stores like Wal-Mart, Kroger or Dick’s Sporting Goods may be compromised because the stores do not purchase the goods directly from the manufacturer.

“Anytime you’re buying from…the larger chain, you are never guaranteed to actually get that product,” Perkins said. “It’s written on the bottles there. We get our products directly from the distributor.”

Small businesses are also given the opportunity to set themselves apart from their larger counterparts by becoming a highly specialized store, which is exactly what Riverside Runners has accomplished over the years.

“Our store is unique because of the specific product we carry and the specific knowledge about the product,” Riverside Runners’ owner, Jeff Fedroko, said. “We have a very dedicated group of customers who enjoy comfortable shoes. They rely on us for our knowledge and how the product we sell can help them.”

Fedroko also points out that he thinks his customers keep coming back to his store because of Riverside Runners’ contribution to the community.

“In our case, it’s road races,” Fedroko said. “We’ve become a resource for the community.”

Although big box stores may seem threatening to smaller, lesser known businesses around town, they may actually help the community in more ways than just supplying jobs and low-priced goods. That’s because the larger chain stores often refer their customers to specialized stores if the product or good they are looking for is not available.

“Our best source of referrals is Dick’s Sporting Goods,” Fedroko said.

The big box versus small local business debate is not likely to vanish anytime soon, but one thing is for sure: More competition forces locally-owned businesses to continue being innovative and personable. As many successful small businesses can attest, when customers find what they are looking for and are treated well, they are almost always willing to come back for more. And it’s these “repeat customers” that are the heart of any business, big or small.