Nowadays there is more choice for the consumer than ever before. Large supermarket chains sell products from around the world at rock bottom prices. We are also able to buy anything we desire from the internet and, often, have it delivered the next day. However, this comes at the detriment of small local shops, and our local communities. I would suggest that we need to take measures to address this problem.
Large chain store are able to purchase and trade a very large volume of goods and, as a result they can sell goods with a very small profit margin. Likewise, online retailers have comparatively low overheads as they do not have to maintain a shop. This saving is then passed on to the customer in the form of low prices. In comparison, smaller local shops have to sell products at a relatively high price in order to make a profit. Unable to compete, they often face closure.
The problem with this is that the community loses it’s sense of identity. It is often these small shops that differentiate one town from another. With the loss of these shops, high streets and town centres become homogenised with the same shops fronts and products. It has also been found that local shops generate more employment than larger, chain stores.
What we need to do is to encourage people to shop locally. This could be in the form of publicity campaigns, highlighting the benefits of supporting local businesses. The government could also play a role by offering tax breaks and incentives to local businesses so that they are better able to compete with larger companies.
To conclude, we can see a number of, mostly financial, reasons why smaller shops are unable to compete and that the loss of these businesses would have a negative impact on the community. Individuals and government both need to play a role in supporting local businesses so that we can preserve the diversity of our towns and cities.