Three years ago, I attended SxSW in Austin, TX. There, I went to numerous different sessions on social and interactive media, where it stood,and where industry experts thought it was headed. Blake Mycoskie from TOMS Shoes was there giving the keynote about incorporating giving back into your business model.

It was a conference where everyone was on the same page, where everyone had ideas of where things were going, but as technology often changes, you really never know. As small business shopping continues to evolve, keeping up with these shifts becomes crucial for any entrepreneur or business owner looking to stay relevant.

Talking with my co-worker at dinner one night, I said, The trend is small business shopping.

Small Businesses, Mom & Pop shops, if you will, are going to start taking over.

Why did I think that? Because I looked at myself and my friends, Generation Y-ers, who grew up with the internet. Literally. What did we do? How did we shop? I couldn’t tell you the last time I went to a mall, or a chain store. I either go to the local downtown or shop online. And it feels better to shop at a “smaller” store, with good customer service. Oftentimes, their products are cheaper too because they don’t have the overhead a larger retail store does. This is one of the reasons why I love small business shopping – it feels more personal and often more affordable.

A Small Business Example

One of the more recent small businesses I stumbled across from a friend’s recommendation was Warby Parker, an online retailer of both prescription and non-prescription glasses and sunglasses. Both my husband and I need to wear glasses and/or contacts in order to see the world as it’s meant to be seen, but that means we need to spend a decent amount of money on correcting our vision.

So naturally, we often put it on the back-burner. Well, after coming across Warby Parker, I was so excited— the glasses were so affordable! Two pairs would cost me the same amount as one from a regular eyeglass retailer. It’s a perfect example of small business shopping bringing both value and style to everyday needs.

But I’m sure many of you are wondering, how do you know the glasses will look good on you? Will fit your face? Warby Parker has this awesome “trial” where they send you 5 pairs of glasses (for free) for you to try on for 5 days, and get opinions from your friends and family members.

With them comes the pre-paid return shipping label, so you then just drop the box at your local UPS store, and send the samples back. Then you go online, and order your favorite pair (or pairs as in my case). The process was SO MUCH NICER than doing it at a store. I don’t think I”ll ever order glasses at a store again – something that most people today probably still can’t imagine- but even my parents were curious about it and thinking of doing it themselves, so the shift is coming.

The Shift to Small Businesses

The article I read today on Entrepreneur.com is really what made me start thinking about this again. It was called: Big-Box Backlash: The Rebirth of Mom-and-Pop Shops. It featured Warby Parker, as well as other small businesses, and the steps they are taking in the current marketplace. It made me realize 3 years ago at SxSW I was right in seeing the trend of small businesses becoming more prevalent, and I’m excited to see this trend continuing to rise. I like helping another person, rather than a large corporation, I like being part of something small, that is much bigger, which is why I wanted to start my own small business to help other small businesses.

So, the next time you need to get something. Go shopping in a local town. I always recommend Ridgewood, NJ, but there are many other towns with great small shops as well. Visit them. Support them. Keep the Trend Going.

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