(By Rick Fink) Let the shopping season begin!
I can hear it now. The battle cry inside the walls of Amazon, Wayfair, and all the other e-commerce companies sounds something like this: “Let’s take another BRICK out of the Brick N Mortars.”
What’s up for grabs this holiday shopping season? $1,000,000,000,000 – That’s ONE TRILLION DOLLARS!
The e-commerce companies are licking their chops. With six fewer shopping days this year, they are looking to make an even bigger impact than in previous years.
As managers of TV and radio stations that have a say in the inventory, you have a choice. You can ignore the fact that the e-commerce companies like Amazon, Wayfair, and thousands of others are attempting to whittle away at your lifeblood (Local Direct Clients), or you can stand up and fight for them. It’s not just the retail business owners you are supporting, it’s your local communities, its citizens, and all the other non-retail businesses you’re fighting for as well.
Why fight back against Amazon and the e-commerce enterprises? The main reason is because they are tearing away at the very fabric of most cities in North America, the retail businesses, the Mom-and-Pop’s small and medium-sized businesses that line our main streets. Beyond that, in most cases, out-of-state e-commerce companies don’t support your communities in any way. They pay little to no taxes; they don’t sponsor the local clubs, ball teams, non-profits, or local events; and they provide zero employment. Not only do they have a direct negative impact on retail sales, but the trickle-down effect is felt as well — local retail businesses close, people lose jobs, the tax base erodes, and then service and professional businesses suffer as well. If that’s not enough reasons, I don’t know what would be.
I have stated before: I am not directly against e-commerce or free enterprise by any means. However, I am all about doing whatever I can to protect the hands that feed me, and retail businesses put a lot of food on your table and money in your budgets.
This little battle cry is not going to cripple or even wound the Amazons of the world or even the much smaller e-commerce businesses, but it may save a few of your local brick-n-mortars from making the decision of whether to close their doors or not. And, it may also save a few jobs.
I’ll even make it easy for you. I’ve written two new radio scripts that promote your listeners to buy local this holiday season. One can run for the entire shopping season and the other is to promote “Small Business Saturday” (Nov 30).
If you would like a free copy of these scripts, simply click here and request.
Your local business owners will think you are a hero for airing these messages. Finally, someone is willing to stand up and support them. And, if it isn’t already, psychological reciprocity just might kick in and they may be more apt to advertise with you in the future.
You have a choice — I hope you choose to “Stand Up and Fight” for your local retailers and communities!
Rick Fink is President of ENS Media USA and business partner with Wayne Ens of Ens Media Inc. Rick can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].
