Two ladies at our counter on Saturday reminded me of the difference between an independent small business retailer and a mass merchant. They put a smile on my face and the faces of those around me including other customers who watched as they played with and giggles at these stamps which light up when you press them down.
These ladies, in their seventies, were taken back to their childhood and recounted stories about Christmas. Even though our counter was busy they were in their own world, enjoying feeling good about Christmas and that we let them play with all the stamps to find the ones they wanted.
While a couple of Scrooge like customers frowned because they had to lean over the ladies to pay for their newspaper or some other purchase, most were happy to see them happy. Their playing led others to purchase the stamps but that’s not the point. In hindsight we could have moved them on, pressured them to buy or shifted them from the counter. It never crossed my mind. I was delighted to see their delight and proud we had something which made them so happy.
They told us a couple of stories we would have otherwise not heard and that’s what this is about, it’s what independent retail is about. It’s not merely a transaction. Independent retail businesses, like newsagencies, are part o the social fabric of a country. We are places where stories are told and traditions are shared. A world of mass merchants would be a cold and heartless place motivated only by riving the share price. So the stories don’t put money in the bank – sometimes that does not matter.
Newsagents across the country have stories like this – moments where stories and feelings come ahead of transactions. Customers like the personal attention and we need to remember that. We need to resist becoming like the mass merchants for if we do, we’ll miss moments like I saw in m newsagency on Saturday.