Baton Rouge’s small and boutique businesses are competing—with varying degrees of success—with the deals being offered at big box retailers and the convenience of online shopping this holiday season by trying to make their merchandise and customer service stand apart.
Michele Percy with NK Boutique says she’s not worried about her customers going to department stores because NK carries clothing lines they can’t get anywhere else in Baton Rouge. Still, she admits the unlimited online competition is a constant challenge.
“People have actually told me they’re shopping online,” Percy says. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, I’m just trying this on.’”
Ashley Thibaut, general manager of Bella Bella, another Baton Rouge boutique, says the store is trying to compete this holiday season by launching an online storefront and website called Shoptiques, which provides a space for local boutiques to easily make themselves available to online shoppers. A handful of Lafayette and New Orleans boutiques also have online storefronts on Shoptiques, she says, adding that the site has led many out-of-state customers to purchase goods from Bella Bella.
NK closed its online affiliate, Eve’s Apple, over the summer to concentrate on its brick-and-mortar locations. Thibaut says her brick-and-mortar stores stand out to shoppers in part because of the variety of apparel items they sell.
“It’s a one-stop shop. You can get your whole outfit here, from clothing to shoes, and accessories and jewelry,” Thibaut says.
Thibaut says she also tries to make her brick-and-mortar store stand apart from online competitors by emphasising quality customer service and a friendly sales staff to make the shoppers’ experience more personable. Percy, too, touts the services her staff provides. Still, she says shopper behavior has changed this season.
“They’re being more selective and not making quick decisions. You see them thinking about a purchase and coming back a few days later,” Percy says. “It’s been a different December, for sure.”
Thibaut says sales this December have been “not any better, not any worse” than in recent years.
Online shopping has also threatened Danny Plaisance’s bookstore, Cottonwood Books, which he owns and operates in the Perkins Road overpass area. While big box stores like Barnes & Noble haven’t threatened his store, Plaisance says, he is concerned about online shopping and e-readers. Plaisance, who sells used, rare and out-of-print books, says he relies on his unique selection of books to draw in customers.
“You have to have that special niche,” Plaisance says.
Nationally, small retailers’ market share may be growing, according to a recent survey on holiday shopping trends conducted by Deloitte, the global financial services company. Shoppers said they would be patronizing malls less and local stores more this year. Two-thirds of consumers surveyed said they will likely spend about 35% of their holiday budget on gifts from local retailers.
“Reasons cited for this behavior include supporting their local economy, finding unique gifts, and convenience,” according to the survey. —Kelly Connelly
