Band 6+: It can be difficult for small local shops to compete with large supermarkets and with on-line shops. How does this affect local communities? What could be done to improve this situation? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

In today’s ever-changing world, digitalisation happens at a somewhat alarming pace. Things of the past are left behind and discarded, getting replaced with contemporary alternatives. On a larger scale, within communities, this has made major changes from the usual ways of living. These modifications range across many aspects in our life – sometimes even as simple as the matter of buying daily products.

Local communities are massively impacted from these technological developments. The introduction of online shops has caused a considerable shift in market dominations. Nowadays, people can order their needs online through the internet. This has resulted in less interest for buying directly at the store, as the former option is deemed hassle-free. However, before the existence of online marketplaces, big supermarkets have also proven to be a challenge for locally-run-shops.

Here, the problem is clear – online shops and large supermarkets are decimating smaller businesses managed by local communities. However, on the other hand, there are still ways which can be done by local communities to emerge from this problem. One of those is to create a lively community centre which consists of local stores and public facilities. Such methods have been used by many towns in the world, such as, Canggu. This coastal village in Bali, Indonesia used to be a quiet surfing spot for water sports enthusiasts, before social media boosted its’ popularity. Shortly after, major redevelopments took place to accomodate tourists, which consequently led to the addition of large shopping centres and also online stores within the area. However, small local markets still exist and are thriving until today thanks to these community centres. They are centrally located and, combined with unique architecture designs, have successfully attracted people to visit local retails within this property.

Community centres help local owned stores survive in this digital era. Besides maintaining income, it also serves as a melting pot for members of said community. Therefore, such method should be adapted by more small businesses to compete against larger rivals. This can be done simply by gathering stores together in a central location within an aesthetically pleasing setting.