Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
HOLIDAY SHOPPING IS IN FULL
SWING AND MANY CONSUMERS ARE
TURNING TO THEIR COMPUTERS,
SMART PHONES, AND TABLETS TO
DO ALL THEIR SHOPPING ONLINE.
NEWS 18'S HOLLY CAMPBELL
JOINS US LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN
WITH MORE ABOUT HOW ONLINE
SHOPPING COULD BE IMPACTING
SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR
COMMUNITY. HOLLY? JEFF,
GINA...CONSUMERS SPENT
3-BILLION DOLLARS ONLINE LAST
WEEKEND. THATS 10 PERCENT OF
ALL PURCHASES MADE BLACK
FRIDAY THROUGH CYBER MONDAY.
RETAIL EXPERTS SAY THE BIGGEST
ONLINE RETAILERS ARE THE BIG
BOX STORES LIKE WAL-
MART....BUT WHERE DOES THAT
LEAVE OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES?
WELL.. I SPOKE WITH ONE
BUSINESS OWNER WHO SAYS THEY
HAVE STARTED SELLING THEIR
PRODUCTS ONLINE...WHILE
ANOTHER SAYS...IF SOMEONE
WANTS TO BUY THEIR
PRODUCTS...THEY'LL HAVE TO
COME TO THE STORE. #@PEGAN
21:44:43 "WHEN BUSINESS GOT
SLOW, WE DECIDED WE NEEDED TO
FIND ANOTHER WAY AND FOUND OUT
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SHOPPING
ONLINE, INCLUDING MY CHILDREN.
WE DECIDED WE NEEDED TO MOVE
TO THE NEXT WAY OF SELLING."
HOLLY: ONLINE SHOPPING IS BIG
BUSINESS AND SOME LOCAL
BUSINESS OWNERS LIKE VANESSA
PEGAN, CO-OWNER OF MAIN STREET
MERCANTILE SAYS SHE'S JOINING
THE BIG BOX BUSINESSES ONLINE.
PURDUE RETAIL EXPERT RICHARD
FEINBERG SAYS COSUMERS SPENT
NEARLY 30-BILLION DOLLARS IN
THE WEEKEND FOLLOWING
THANKSGIVING....AND 3-BILLION
OF THAT WAS SPENT ONLINE.
FEINBERG SAYS E-COMMERCE IS A
GROWING BUSINESS...AND IF
SMALL BUSINESSES DON'T SELL
ONLINE...THEY COULD LOSE OUT
TO THE BIG BOX STORES.
FEINBERG 21:35:25 "THE SMALL
RETAILER IS GOING TO SUFFER IN
THAT AND THAT SCARES ME
BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS
ON A VIBRANT SMALL BUSINESS
RETAILING. IF WE'RE WALKING
DOWN MAIN STREET, LAFAYETTE
AND EVERYTHING IS CLOSED,
EVERYTHING IS EMPTY THAT'S
REALLY HORRIBLE TO THINK."
PEGAN 21:46;17: "WE JUST NEED
TO REACH OUT TO THE WHOLE
WORLD, WHICH IS WHAT YOU DO
WHEN YOU SELL ONLINE AND IF
YOU DO THAT IN ADDITION, I
THINK WE CAN DO BOTH AND
HOPEFULLY I THINK THAT WOULD
BE GOOD FOR LAFAYETTE TO KEEP
THESE BUILDINGS WITH A
PURPOSE."HOLLY: PEGAN SAYS
THROUGH THE YEARS.. HER
BUSINESS HAS HAD TO MAKE A LOT
OF CHANGES.. SO SELLING ONLINE
JUST MADE SENSE.PEGAN
21:46:39: "WE'VE BEEN IN
BUSINESS FOR OVER 35 YEARS SO
WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGES.
WE CHANGE ACCORDING TO WHAT
THE DEMAND IS, SO THIS IS JUST
ANOTHER DEMAND THAT WE CAN
HOPEFULLY FILL AND CONTINUE TO
DO BUSINESS."HOLLY: BUT NOT
EVERY BUSINESS IS JUMPING AT
THE OPPORTUNITY. VIRTUOUS
CYCLES CO-OWNER ZOE NEAL SAYS
HE PREFERS TO INTERACT WITH
HIS CUSTOMERS IN PERSON. NEAL
21:54:43 "THERE'S SOMETHING
ABOUT GOING INTO A BRICK AND
MORTAR STORE AND TALKING TO
SOMEBODY WHO HAS EXPERIENCE
WITH THE PRODUCTS AND HAS USED
THEM."HOLLY: NEAL SAYS HIS
BUSINESS DOES HAVE A
WEBSITE...BUT IT'S JUST SO
CUSTOMERS CAN SEE WHAT'S IN
THE STORE. WHEN ASKED IF
CUSTOMERS WILL EVER BE ABLE TO
BUY PRODUCTS ONLINE FROM
VIRTUOUS CYCLES....NEAL SAYS
HE DOESN'T REALLY KNOW.NEAL
21:54:05: "IT'S A POSSIBILITY
BUT I'M NOT THAT INTERESTED IN
FEINBERG SAYS WHILE HAVING
A PRESENCE ONLINE IS IMPORTANT
FOR RETAILERS...IT'S STILL NOT
AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT HAPPENS