Independent retailers urged to get back onto social media

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Independent retailers are being urged to get back onto social media and re-engage with local customers after new data revealed the extent of the drop-off since lockdown ended.

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Research from social media management platform Maybe has found that independent businesses have all but stepped away from social media since lockdown ended. Consumers average more than three hours on social media per day, but the 43% of independents that were active on social media on a daily basis pre-Covid-19 has dropped to just 5% in some towns.

Polly Barnfield, chief executive of Maybe, said: “This was a really worrying finding. Small shops really need to be on social media and engaging in the local conversations there, because that’s a really effective way of reaching local customers. Use it to tell local people the story of your business. Don’t get sucked into believing that social media is for the world; you can make it local if you engage with the local conversation.”

The research found that home delivery and a limit on the number of customers in-store at any one time would encourage respondents to shop more. In addition, the ability to book appointments to shop, the availability of click-and-collect, and shop staff effectively policing social distancing, face covering and hygiene regulations.

Barnfield added: “The majority of people we surveyed still feel anxious about shopping at all with 57% predicting they will shop less in either a high street or a shopping centre compared with pre-lockdown. But there is good news and that is that retailers are largely felt to be doing a satisfactory job of implementing their safety measures, though they mustn’t rest on their laurels as they risk losing 51% of their shoppers if social distancing measures aren’t enforced. This should suit small, independent shops who are able to make changes quickly to the way they work to make their customers feel even safer and more comfortable.”