How can small traders compete with e-commerce?

Christmas is approaching and the shopkeepers look grim.

With the confinement, many small businesses are heavily penalized and worry that they will not be able to compensate for their losses if they do not reopen quickly.

While the end of the year celebrations are traditionally a highlight, they must now prepare for deconfinement with the pressure to garner as much revenue as possible in just a few weeks.

Nathalie Carré, project manager at CCI France (chambers of commerce and industry), gave them her advice on the program

, Tuesday on Europe 1, so that they can encourage as many customers as possible to buy their Christmas gifts in their shop.

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"Become your client's personal shopper"

"Christmas will be different, you have to quickly attract customers to local shops. There is only one solution: stop selling products but find solutions to your customers' problems", advises Nathlie Carré.

"For example: what do I buy from this teenager who only plays video games, from my mother who can no longer travel? Become your client's 'personal shopper', personalize your sales, become the gift hunter and help your customers, ”she continues.

“Get together with merchants in your street, in your town, to hunt for gifts and come up with an ideal list of gifts that will please at all costs. Maybe your gifts will be more expensive than online, but you will rendered service to your customer and there will be a good chance that the customer will buy from you ", assures Nathalie Carré.

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 - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Tuesday, November 17

Flyers and social media

Traders can also use "the good old techniques of the flyer, the town hall, social networks", to reach as many customers as possible.

"Use the talents of your children, of your grandchildren who know social networks and the gifts of their fathers. We have to give transgenerational help."

Last advice: "we must find a solution so that the exchange is facilitated, whether by post or by other means."