Supporting Local Businesses. Do they Support you Back? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Kuan · #1 10-14-2011, 10:02 AM

What do you think? I frequent a lot of local businesses. Sometimes I do so despite being able to get the same product at a substantial discount online. Some of these guys reciprocate and give me a small discount, most don't. It kinda hurts my feelings.

elchivito · #2 10-14-2011, 10:16 AM

The local businesses I support mostly provide better customer service or favors rather than discounts. One example. I get all my hardware supplies from a small local hardware and feed store. If they know you well, they let you run a tab without interest. So instead of going into Home Depot and having to hunt down one or two items or deal with sullen, poorly trained employees and then stand in a checkout line, I can pop into my local mercantile, grab the pipe fitting-gate latch-hose bib-roll of duct tape or whatever it is and call out the price to them, they note it on my tab and i'm out the door and back to work. They don't like to send out bills, so close to the end of the month they'll say hey, you're tab this month is $x and I'll settle up with them, or if I happen to be flush on a particular day I'll remember before they do and pay up. If their prices were twice as high as Home Douchebags, I'd still trade with them.

t walgamuth · #3 10-14-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchivito

The local businesses I support mostly provide better customer service or favors rather than discounts. One example. I get all my hardware supplies from a small local hardware and feed store. If they know you well, they let you run a tab without interest. So instead of going into Home Depot and having to hunt down one or two items or deal with sullen, poorly trained employees and then stand in a checkout line, I can pop into my local mercantile, grab the pipe fitting-gate latch-hose bib-roll of duct tape or whatever it is and call out the price to them, they note it on my tab and i'm out the door and back to work. They don't like to send out bills, so close to the end of the month they'll say hey, you're tab this month is $x and I'll settle up with them, or if I happen to be flush on a particular day I'll remember before they do and pay up. If their prices were twice as high as Home Douchebags, I'd still trade with them.

Yep. Most of those mom and pop places are long gone though, sadly. That is how most businesses I did business with 30 years ago did it. I do miss those days.

SwampYankee · #4 10-14-2011, 11:01 AM

I do a lot of local business because I prefer it. Some of them give me the same 10% for personal purchases as they do for my business purchases, some don't and I'm fine with that. If nothing else, I don't have to deal with the big box b.s. and it's worth it for that alone.

For some, the bottom dollar is all that matters. I've got a lot of potential local customers who would rather drive across the bridge to save 5-10% on a similar product from one of the big box stores or national distributors. We don't play the pricing game, there is always somebody who will charge less. Fortunately there are customers who appreciated value as opposed to cost and are willing to pay for value-added.

tbomachines · #5 10-14-2011, 11:35 AM

Judging from the local little league teams with business sponsorships, volunteer days, and of course when you actually shop there--the personal "touch" if you will--I'd say small businesses give back quite nicely.

elchivito · #6 10-14-2011, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbomachines

Judging from the local little league teams with business sponsorships, volunteer days, and of course when you actually shop there--the personal "touch" if you will--I'd say small businesses give back quite nicely.

Yup. And in lots of instances there's no way they could give much in the way of discounts and stay above water. My local mercantile seems to run about 15 percent higher than the big stores, but I'm betting they are paying at least that much more than the big boxes are for the goods they sell, more in some cases.

BAVBMW · #7 10-14-2011, 12:42 PM

I choose local businesses whenever I can, and for the most part, yeah, they support me also. Both in so much as they come and do business with me, and they give me a perk or two from time to time at their business. I think one of the best parts is, when something does go awry, I can talk to someone who has the freedom to use their brain and not just follow a policy.

MV

aklim · #8 10-14-2011, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

What do you think? I frequent a lot of local businesses. Sometimes I do so despite being able to get the same product at a substantial discount online. Some of these guys reciprocate and give me a small discount, most don't. It kinda hurts my feelings.

I don't expect any repayment from anyone so my feelings aren't hurt at all. Lower your expectations and you have less hurt feelings. Generally, when I shop, I already know what I want. I need to be able to find it at your store is all. Rarely do I seek their advice. After all, you are selling a product so your advising me to get it does represent a sort of conflict of interest. I get my own experts to tell me because they aren't making a dime one way or the other.

As such, I patronize whomever gives me the best deal. Most often, it is price wise but service does play a small role in the decision. Say I have to return your product, are you going to give me grief about it? Are you significantly more expensive or by how much? Say it is a $1000 plus tax item and around here it comes to $1055 and I can get it for $995 plus shipping and it comes to 1045, probably not. OTOH, if I can get it online for say $900 including shipping, that is a different story. After all, as you pointed out, most don't give you anything back personally. So why should I support you with my money when you don't do anything for me? Payback doesn't always have to be in cash but when I see no payback to me personally, I don't care. Your sponsorship of a team is simply to buy you advertisement and get you a tax write-off. As such, you have already been paid back for your "contribution". Why should I pay you double?

el presidente · #9 10-15-2011, 06:32 PM

Depends on the item.

I haven't found an online seller that can match my favorite local eatery. Get me some homemade lasagna delivered to my door in 15 minutes with no shipping or tax and I'll reconsider!

kerry · #10 10-15-2011, 06:51 PM

The hardware store where I had a tab, closed down a few years ago and was replaced by an Ace Hardware with all the associated ignorant employees compared to the other store. For instance, the previous hardware store had a whole array of different faucet seats since the neighborhood is 120 years old. Ace Hardware doesn't. I talked to the manager at Ace and pointed out their inadequacy. He said he would look into it. I guess he's still looking into it a couple of years later.

barry123400 · #11 10-16-2011, 10:59 PM

Well local business pays taxes locally. Although it all is not too relavent. They are systematically slowly being driven out by large monopolies. You cannot buy right when independant and small.

t walgamuth · #12 10-17-2011, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

The hardware store where I had a tab, closed down a few years ago and was replaced by an Ace Hardware with all the associated ignorant employees compared to the other store. For instance, the previous hardware store had a whole array of different faucet seats since the neighborhood is 120 years old. Ace Hardware doesn't. I talked to the manager at Ace and pointed out their inadequacy. He said he would look into it. I guess he's still looking into it a couple of years later.

The local hardware here which was a couple of blocks from my old house was like you describe. It closed maybe twenty years ago. Now the closest thing is Ace hardware, which is light years better than big box stores for odds and ends. It also tends to have mature adults to assist with finding the right widget for you.

The only advantage of the big box is twenty four hour hours. I used to go over there at ten oclock at night looking for parts because they were open. After finding over and over that they did not have the part I needed I have pretty much stopped going there for any reason. Every time i go there I end up feeling like an idiot for thinking they would have anything for me at all.

rscurtis · #13 10-17-2011, 10:22 AM

There was an old fashioned hardware store in a small shopping center across the street from my rental business on LI. The original owner died in 2000, his son and a cousin ran it for another 6 years before the lease was up. He had a buyer lined up, but the landlord wouldn't move on the rent, wanted $5000/mo., up from $3200. He called in a liquidator, and in 5 weeks, it was gone. Store sat empty for over three years. No sweat for the landlord, he had Rite-Aid as a tenant- for $42K /month. No fear, though, there are three Home Depot's within about a 20 minute ride. The closest one was taken over by HD so Lowe's couldn't get it.