We all shop, whether we go to the store or shop online. However, where you decide to shop effects other stores surrounding you. Some stores are using a great strategy to get your business, which seems to be working.

Let me explain. As a whole, we realize that big stores like Wal-Mart can be seen as a predator on little family owned stores. Wal-Mart is a hard store to compete with since they have a wide range of products for a very reasonable price.

But, did we know that big stores are taking business away from other well-known, big stores? Wal-Mart is knocking Sears out of the retail world because they cannot keep up with competitive pricing.
Shopping at these big stores is putting little stores in your town out of business. Small businesses need your help to keep their doors open.

Amazon is another top competitor in retail, but in the online world. When people decide they need to order a book, they go to Amazon. When people need to order shoes or sports apparel, they visit amazon for a better price than in other stores. Amazon allows you to search multiple different sellers to find the best price possible, for a used or new product.

“Money back guarantee” is the best phrase and strategy to get consumers to purchase goods. You buy something and don’t like it once you get it? Return it, no problem. You break it? Return it. This is the best strategy for stranger selling, since you don’t know the person you are buying from personally. If you are going to buy something and you know you can return it with no issues, wouldn’t you be more likely to buy it? The answer is most likely yes, because it takes the risk out of spending your money on a product.

Sephora is another company who uses this strategy. You can purchase anything from Sephora, online or in the store, and return the product if you don’t like it, as long as it is less than half used. This is amazing. You can buy mascara, try it out for a week or two, and still return it if you don’t like the way the product works for you.

Did you know that Bath and Body Works has a similar strategy? If you buy something and don’t like the way a lotion smells on your body, or a candle smells once you light it, bring it back. Even if it is half used.

By using this strategy, the consumer has no risk of purchasing a product from that store. It makes the customer more apt to buy something, especially online when they haven’t seen the product in person.

The retail world has changed over time and has become more of an online shopping world. Whether you are shopping at big stores or small businesses, keep on spending your money because you are helping the global economy as a whole.