This has never been more apparent to me than over the past few weeks.
For those who follow me on our Socials, you may know that we have been working on a rather big change in store. I’ve labelled it a renovation, which in fact it was because builders were involved, but it was more than that, it was a complete transformation.
Now many of you will know that I have been the “person” behind Meg + Me for the past 13 or so years, and have slowly but surely (along with our Team) blossomed this once small concern into the well respected business it is today. But as I look back over our journey, I have realised we have had some key moments of growth and this is definitely one of them.
In small business, especially regional small business, the phrase “Jack of all trades, Master of none” is never far from any retailer’s mind. While there are countless well documented studies around the psychology of retail and the best way to maximise a customer’s in store experience, the actual implementation of that in real life is left down to Good Ole Me… I’m no professor when it comes to Retail Psychology but I have learned a thing or two over the years. Buckle up ladies and gentlemen, your lesson starts here!
You know when you go to the “City” and you walk through one of those fancy stores, or a shopping mall and you see all those beautifully merchandised displays, the themed mannequins, the lighting hitting the racks “just so”, the subtle or not so subtle signage, the music, the scent of the space and all the other little details that you don’t even realise are there which have been carefully curated to entice you to stay a little longer and ultimately open your wallet…? Well you can bet your bottom dollar there’s a team of highly skilled (and handsomely paid) professionals behind all of that.
But not for us.
When it comes to store layout, lighting, Brand identity and all the other finer (but very important) details, the Big Boys leave us small independent retailers for dust. But there is one area that those big boys can’t compete with us and where we will win every single time. It’s our Connection to Community.
While we may struggle to do our best within our own limitations, relying on our “on the job” learnings and tiny budgets, a passionately run small business will nearly always win on Customer Service and Consumer Satisfaction when pitched against the Big Boys. Sure their websites might be slightly easier to navigate (or not, I am looking at you Zara!) and their advertising budget may have a few more zeros than ours, but that pales into insignificance when compared to actually being “valued” as a consumer by a committed small business owner.
For me, the excitement was palpable as we proudly opened our newly transformed spaces to the public for the very first time after our complete refresh (for images see our shiny double page spread in FOCUS Magazine). But as with anything new it’s amazing what people tune into, and it’s often not what you’d expect. “Is that light fitting new” I’m asked. “Nope, been here since we opened”. “What about that stunning mural?” “No that was there too… But we have built these three gorgeous new fitting rooms” and that’s when you see the penny drop.
Sometimes when it is meant to be, the most obvious of changes can be hidden in full sight. When things work, you often don’t notice them, it’s when they don’t that they become blindingly obvious. So when I watch people navigate our new spaces, I am proud that this Jack of all Trades has pulled off a master transformation, that feels so effortlessly natural it isn’t immediately obvious that this isn’t how it’s always been.
For me, this is the ultimate definition of being a good learner.
I can’t wait to welcome you in store to experience our new spaces for yourself soon
