Monocle Briefing

This Monocle briefing is a fantastic insight into small retailers (not unlike ourselves).Click here to view.

Globally this is an exciting trend.

In New Zealand it seems that we are obsessed with growth and global domination. We feel that to have a successful business it must have scale; Obviously businesses need to be profitable to be relevant but sometimes I think we forget that a small business can still be a great business.

Retail has (apparently) been under extreme pressure to survive in the last two – three years, a combination of a Global recession and the advances in on line shopping. These are pertinent factors but I cannot agree exclusively.

I think that small exciting businesses that are focused on their customer’s needs and experiences who are passionate about the products they make and sell will always flourish.

It buoys me to know that I am not alone in that view; there are great businesses everywhere you look. They may be roasting coffee or making chocolates, producing ice blocks, beautiful candles or clothes.

In recent years we have become used to making sustainable choices that benefit the environment, are ethically correct or organically valid. It is cool to have a social conscience.

I think that we can all benefit from supporting small businesses and making the choice to buy their products. Products that have a story, are made by hand in a place, that is close to where you live, by someone you may know or who knows a friend of a friend you know.

We can still get our consumable fix from technological behemoths like Apple but in our daily lives the soap we wash with, the food we eat and the linen we sleep on can all be bought in a way that helps create a vibrant “slow economy” made up of like minded people doing something they love and still making a living.

It doesn’t have to be about spending more, it’s about choosing where to spend it.