What differentiates one store from another? In a world where everything has been invented, online shopping is more alive than ever and more and more businesses are closing their doors, experience, originality and affordable prices seem to be some of the keys to differentiation. The challenge has migrated: now it's not just about selling, but about being relevant, building community and doing everything possible to make customers want to return. However, not everything is based on empty proposals and cafes inside clothing stores. Proximity, trust and personal treatment are also elements typical of local commerce that can help it compete with large supermarkets. Maintaining this identity, however, requires adapting to new consumption habits, incorporating technological tools and rethinking the relationship with customers. In this process, collaboration between shopkeepers, participation in commercial hubs and public-private cooperation become key elements to strengthen the commercial fabric and face challenges that can hardly be solved individually. This was expressed by the speakers of the new session of Eixample Talks, the series of conversations promoted by Pimec and The New Barcelona Post that brings together representatives from the public and private sectors to debate major economic challenges.
Under the title In a world of identical stores, how is a unique identity built?, Maria Segarra, founder and director of Intueri Consulting; Gemma Badillo, member of the Pimec Comerç board; Mònica Noguera, owner of Plats Cuinats Hostafrancs and president of the Creu Coberta Merchants Association; and Marta Raurell, head of the commerce area of the Consortium of Commerce, Crafts and Fashion of Catalonia; with the moderation of Elena Busquets, director of The New Barcelona Post, have agreed that the future of local commerce does not depend only on innovation, experience and competitive prices, but also on authenticity, teamwork and emotional proximity. The shopping experience has come to stay, as have new trends that combine digital and physical spaces. But traditional commerce, the one that "makes not all cities the same," in the words of the editor of The New Barcelona Post, Guillem Carol, also has the opportunity to maintain its identity if it works together and has the involvement of public administrations.
Achieving one's own identity is a work of years and different tools are taken into account to find and maintain that essence that identifies a store and that, moreover, makes you want to return. Segarra regretted in her speech that "many times we focus on competing on price". In this way, the expert stated that money is a priority for consumers, but that it is not the only factor to take into account, especially when talking about local businesses, which cannot compete with large supermarkets due to high production costs. Thus, there are other strengths that favor local commerce, such as the emotional bond with customers. "They have been coming for 50 years because they know we are trustworthy," explained Noguera, second generation of the takeaway food business that her family opened. With her experience, she highlights that loyalty is key when it comes to competing: "Give them memorable experiences, because memory is the basis of loyalty," said Segarra.
Continuing with this line, Segarra also remarked that whenever proximity is mentioned, one thinks of physical stores, events or products rooted in the territory. For her, however, proximity also has an emotional point, a clear need to communicate with customers, to know what they want and to be able to provide it easily. An opinion shared by Raurell, who stated that "we must know how to connect with the client". For the head of the commerce area of the Consortium of Commerce, Crafts and Fashion of Catalonia, local businesses have more difficulties connecting with their public, perhaps not with those already loyal, but "it is difficult to reach potential customers," she considered. In this sense, she explained that more networking and knowledge of the new consumer is needed to reach them with this emotional and close bond that the founder and director of Intueri Consulting spoke about.
Precisely, technology rises as this ally to the inconveniences that Raurell talks about. In fact, the irruption of artificial intelligence is also starting to creep into the fitting rooms of large department stores. Digital shopping is also increasingly simple, and the modernization of the interiors of stores and businesses with enough resources are more attractive to new generations. Segarra has assured that technology "is a tool," but has also emphasized "that it must be humanized." The reality, then, is that there will always be stores with resources that have interactive fitting rooms; however, the craft and professionalization of local retail staff continues to be the advantage that overcomes technology. "It's not about having good salespeople, we can put that word in a drawer, we are advisors," Raurell snapped.
A life in community
A key part of local commerce are its associations and commercial hubs. This grouping is also a clear advantage in Segarra's eyes, although she has acknowledged that there is still a lot of work to be done. "Why don't we recommend each other?" reflected the founder and director of Intueri Consulting. In this sense, Segarra specified that in a restaurant there should be flowers from the florist in its commercial hub, for example. This way of understanding commerce implies going beyond the individual management of each establishment and taking advantage of the synergies that can be generated between businesses in the same environment. Collaboration allows customers to discover other proposals in the neighborhood and for the merchants themselves to become prescribers for their neighbors. In her opinion — but also that of the speakers at the event — community is not only created with customers, but must also be an internal indicator. In other words, commercial hubs must serve to bring closer, promote, and recommend local businesses.
However, the president of the Creu Coberta Merchants Association, Noguera, recalled that commercial hubs alone cannot be attractive, but need help from the public administration. Noguera asked, in her speech, for more security for her commercial hub and compared it with other neighborhoods in Barcelona that have everything "more orderly and clean". "We need more cleanliness, more security and to make our hub more attractive," the expert concluded. Far from being an isolated demand, Noguera highlighted a issue that affects local commerce in general: the need for strong public-private collaboration for the survival of commerce in cities.
More aid to alleviate fierce competition
"We cannot compete with large surfaces," highlighted Badillo, a member of the Pimec Comerç council. While it is true that there are areas where this competition is a lost battle for local commerce, the expert stated that there are other measures that can be taken to protect this type of commerce. Badillo spoke about the rental price crisis and how it has also affected businesses. She also mentioned bureaucracy and how the latest studies she has consulted specify that small business owners spend around 41 hours a month on bureaucracy. "We need more facilities," the expert said. Noguera also validated Badillo's statements and added them to her demands for improvements in commercial hubs. Both assured that "decisions should not be made by people behind a desk. They have to talk to us." For his part, Raurell added that "public-private collaboration must be truthful" and recalled that in his case —from the Consortium of Commerce, Crafts and Fashion of Catalonia— "we always talk to those who work in the sector day by day."
In short, Eixample Talks concluded with a lightning round of advice for shopkeepers that left a shared idea for all speakers: "Don't go alone." With this recommendation, they highlighted the importance of building community, being part of commercial hubs, and joining forces to face the challenges of the sector. In this sense, they also claimed the role of merchant associations, which, beyond offering advantages and support in legal matters, allow sharing concerns, seeking joint solutions, and being an active part of the survival of the local commercial fabric.