With an economy bobbing up and down like a storm tossed ship, brick & mortar retailers - and even online retailers - will be watching the looming shopping season with eagle eyes. They will be watching closely for indications of declining consumer spending overall. However, retailers taking recent declines into consideration should still plan and position themselves for a profitable future.

Both brick & mortar, and online retailers, able to leverage online positioning can increase their profits. Those that take steps now to move ahead of competitors will find this an easier season to weather than most. Traditional retailers may experience lower foot traffic from traditional tourism loads. But many are already finding that replacing tourists with locals not only sustains their business - but strengthens it for future dips in the market.

Those businesses offering software, or digital products, are still suffering overall with recent credit trends. The freeze on credit cards and business lending has resulted in a sharp decrease of spur-of-the-moment spending. Thrifty business owners are thoroughly researching vendors before they make a purchase, rather than the old model of "buying to try" the latest trends in software. But don't despair - quality software and other digital products will soar well ahead of competition by offering better value for shopper dollars.

Financially strapped consumers will get more creative at saving money on items as this summer continues. More than ever before, shoppers are flocking to the internet to research product specs, find significant bargains, and locate retailers with products on hand in local shops. Shoppers have been shifting a larger amount of their final purchases away from brick and mortar stores to the internet each year. Allaccess reported, in 2021, that $1.6 million are spent online every 60 seconds!

At the moment, your traditional retail store is limited by the area which you can serve. Typically, customers are drawn from a radius of about 30 miles or less. But when your store goes online, the market you serve changes dramatically because your online store will be viewed by everyone around the world.

Boost that retail foot traffic with locally targeted offers. In addition, your relationship with customers improves through better service. Shipping partners can also help you deliver goods from your inventory directly to your customer’s door step in record time.

Four Simple Steps to OPEN Your Online Business...

O - Online Presence - Establish a respectable online presence. Build a website, or have one built for you. Be certain that it has the capability to display products for sales, promote those products, and process payments for new orders.

P - Payment Processor - Talk to your current bank - find out if they can help you with online payment processing. If not, turn to a provider like PayPal to handle online payments using credit cards, e-checks, digital money orders, and invoicing options.

E - Email Marketing - Be certain to grab your new and existing customers email address. Do this at the time of purchase, as they browse your website, or before they leave your store! Your first priority is to build a strong marketing list so you can promote sales, events, and products to your best customers in the future.

N - Number of Visitors - Now that you've built a better mousetrap, invite more visitors to experience the difference of shopping your products and services online. Many of your local customers will comment how nice it is to know about your specials by email, and they will reward your effort with increased visits. Customers further a field will be so pleased with your ease of ordering, quality customer service, and informative email follow up - that they will begin to tell their friends all about your online store.

As retailers around the country struggle to maintain revenue levels this year, you are now aware of a strategy that will help you actually experience significant profits. There are trillions in revenue up for grabs online annually. Have you outlined a plan to add an online store to your existing retail operation?

Keep existing customers happy with the convenience of online shopping. Expand your market to new regions and increase profits from your local customers. Strengthen all your customer relationships through better service. Now is the perfect time to get started by adding your new online store.