Garden centres have ranked amongst the top 10 types of local businesses supported by UK consumers according to new data from Tyl by NatWest which explored pandemic purchasing habits and the motivations behind them.
The top types of local independent businesses Brits supported in the last year were:
- Grocery store (45%)
- Corner shop (42%)
- Pharmacy (32%)
- Restaurant (30%)
- Butchers (29%)
- Local market (25%)
- Beauty services (e.g. nails, hairdressers, treatments) (23%)
- Gardening (19%)
- DIY store (19%)
- Clothing store (17%)
Tyl by NatWest urges UK to keep supporting their local independents online and in person when lockdown ends and offers advice to independents on how to create loyal customers.
Examining the motivations behind intentions to shop local, the survey found that support is not unconditional. Whilst 40% consciously tried to support local - naming supporting the local economy and jobs (35%), reducing environmental impact (21%), better quality and interesting products (15%) and the introduction of easier methods of payment including contactless and QR codes as the reasons they shopped local more (15%) - almost half (45%) reported that the reason for their shift to local spend was due to the pandemic restricting their movement.
In order to help generate insight for small business customers, Tyl asked consumers to share the top things that would help them to spend more often with local independents. The most popular response was for the business to have an online presence to provide convenience and navigate through lockdowns (25%). Loyalty schemes (23%) and the ability to accept card payments (21%) also came in the top three, indicating the opportunities available for small businesses if they can adapt to shifting consumer preferences and continue to connect with customers.
Mike Elliff, CEO, Tyl said: “Small independent businesses, their leaders and their staff right across the UK have shown remarkable resilience over the past year under extraordinarily tough conditions.
“The pandemic has fundamentally shifted consumer preferences, with the importance of developing card payment, cashless and online solutions made abundantly clear. Through this research, we wanted to highlight the rising tide of support they have amongst locally conscious consumers and the opportunities this presents for recovery and growth.
“Now is the time to think about what steps you take as a business to cement the new relationships that have been built with your loyal local customers to make sure their business is retained beyond lockdown and the pandemic.”
Tyl by NatWest is a new, innovative payments service designed in partnership with UK SMEs to make it easier for small business customers across the country to receive payments in-store, online and over the phone and manage cash flow during COVID-19 and beyond.
