5 Ways a Locally-Owned Store Can Still Thrive

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Even in an era of online retailers and big-box stores, there are plenty of locally-owned businesses that find a way to thrive. Adaptation is key in enduring through changing times, and the best locally-owned businesses do it by offering additional value to their clientele – a stark contrast to the often-impersonal service of corporate stores. Many locally-owned businesses have flourished for decades, thanks to creativity and personalization. How do they do it? Nobody knows better than Julie Shaffley, owner of Good Health Nutrition, who is celebrating her 28th anniversary helping Centralia’s residents live happier, healthier lives. Here are five of the lessons she’s learned during her 28 years as a small business owner.

1. Offer Personalized Service

Locally-owned stores are operated by your neighbors, and their success is your success. Having someone in charge who knows the needs of their community goes a long way in shaping the development of company culture. These locally- operated establishments provide quality, attentive service and are able to get to know each customer personally. This close relationship means you receive personalized recommendations, which no algorithm can match.

2. Develop Company Values

A business that knows its neighbors and their needs can develop its values accordingly, and is better equipped to serve based on firsthand knowledge. Locally-owned stores depend on feedback from customers, not on anonymous national surveys. Therefore, the products they stock and the services they offer can be adjusted to suit specific demands.

3. Have Happy Employees



Stores that focus on serving their community also employ members of their community. Hiring locally is yet another way local businesses share success to the benefit of their neighbors. Employees who come to work for these businesses may feel a higher sense of duty and accomplishment by knowing the positive work they’re bringing into their neighborhoods. In turn, the employees are taken care of by the company, and you are taken care of by the employees. Everyone is part of the store’s success.

4. Offer a Shopping

‘Experience’ A trip to the store can be about much more than a simple transaction. It’s about time spent with your children, teaching them smart shopping habits and how to be healthy. It’s running into friends from the neighborhood and sharing the latest news or making dinner plans together. It’s sampling the products, asking for recommendations, learning about your purchase and supporting your community all by shopping local.

5. Foster Community

When a locally-owned store is successful, it becomes a neighborhood staple, playing an active role in the lives of local inhabitants. Often its continuity spans generations, and traditions are formed around it. You might have favorite memories about holiday shopping there, or a story about when you used to work at the store. Local business owners know how to engage their community, and this engagement is a huge factor in their ability to succeed. Julie Shaffley and Good Health Nutrition have used these methods to serve its community and thrive for 28 years. This locally-owned business knows its customers personally, and strives to serve them with the finest products and most reliable information available. For nutritious and healthy options, visit Good Health on Harrison Ave. in Centralia, or contact them at (360) 736-3830 or goodhealth@ localaccess.com.