Store Branding: Local or National

The retail market has changed so much in the last few years unfortunately for some retail store owners it is for the worse.


We see more and more local retailers closing their doors. You see the closures. You recognize that there are closures. You see the empty store fronts but do you know the stores that are gone? Can you remember their names? Do you know what their product lines were? Had you ever gone into those stores?

Now ask yourself, why? Why didn't you know more about their business, their products or why hadn't you gone into their store?


The most common answer is the image of the store, their advertisements and their window displays weren't eye catching or memorable. Any why not? Because that Store Owner didn't take the time to brand their name or their image. To survive in this down market a store must become its own brand and sell that brand. Creating a strong presence in a customers mind will help keep that business viable.


A strong branding should give the perception that the store has a unique atmosphere, unique products, friendly and helpful employees and competitive prices and those aspects of the branding should be used in all types of advertising including in store signage. That branding should be part of the store's interior/atmosphere. That atmosphere should be comfortable for your customers and promote shopping. Competition is too strong to be just like the other stores. Branding should promote your unique products especially those that competitors do not have. Competitive pricing should also be part of your branding. Selling unique products at competitive pricing will surely guarantee a strong brand. Unique products and competitive pricing will make your store a destination for consumers. Your employees personalities, willingness to assist a customer, and appearance should all portray your branding also. A retail store's marketing budget as limited as it might be should work to create and enforce all aspects of that branding.

Don't do what your competitor is doing. Be different. Sell unique products, select unique coloring for your logo and store coloring and create a unique atmosphere.


So how does this all relate to retail packaging you ask? Well, you should develop coordinated packaging using your logo and store colors. You can develop a unique shaped shopping bag, multi-colored shopping bag or use a unique material for construction of the shopping bag or just a unique color combination of a stock paper bag. You can develop a unique gift wrapping look using a colored gift wrap that matches your colors along with imprinted ribbon. You should always imprint your store name or logo on your gift boxes and shopping bags. You could also custom imprint your tissue and ribbons. Your packaging is part of your branding. Use your packaging to advertise your business. Your store name, store colors and store packaging should become recognizable to everyone. Why use the same retail packaging as your competitors? Make sure its different then anyone in town. If the unique product you sell leaves your store in a plain white bag with no identification and is presented as a gift then you have created absolutely no branding image to the recipient of that gift. A huge mistake when trying to create a strong branding for your name and store. Probably one of the mistakes those stores around that are now closed made. Don't make the same mistake. Its not to late. Think about it today.


So do you think branding is local or national only. Both. Any local store should create a strong branding also. Local store owners depend the most on the residents of their community so why shouldn't those residents know everything about your store by sight. Know your customer base. Find out what drives the residents of your community and use that as a basis of your branding and include it in all of your advertising. Your branding should meet your customers expectations. Doing this keeps them as a happy customer. National chains doing everyday. The national chains confer with their customers often obtaining information vital to their continued success.


The best branding I can think of is by a local grocery store business. They have a logo and color scheme they use on all print advertising, on their web site, store sign and through out the interior of the store and on store packaging. They also confer with customers to find out improvements that are needed. They make a point of providing excellent customer service, in store special events like decorate a cake for mom, shoppers card drawings for special gifts almost monthly, accumulative discount promotions a few times a year, in-store tasting on most friday nights, children's halloween party, diaper derbies and so much more I can't even think of it. The best thing they do as a business is they give back to the community through donations to many organizations. As a customer, we decide where we want them to give the donations to. We give our receipts to the organization of our choice, ie libraries, schools, charities, etc., and they present them back to the grocery store for the donation. They have helped so many with this its enlightning. I support this business because they make it easy to shop there and enjoyable. I appreciate their many efforts in running a succesful business which includes their strong branding. Nice Job Guys.


Find someone in your area that runs their business with a lot of succes and model their business. Don't copy but a lot can be learned from someone else's success.


As a sales representative, I enjoy helping a customer create match packaging that is unique and within their budget. Your packaging program can take your name and stores brand to new levels.