Big or not too big, that is the question. Where do you prefer to shop: the big box stores or your neighborhood’s one-of-a-kind boutiques?
Coming from a family of small business owners, I support the small biz enterprise. But as a shopper, I also do my share of big box shopping. Which is better? I’ll let you decide. Read both sides of the story below.
This post may contain affiliate links*4 reasons to shop big box stores
So we’re all on the same page, I’ll define what I mean by “big box.” Big box retailers are gigantic stores that sell many product categories. For fashion shoppers, these are your Walmarts, Targets, Costcos, and Sam’s Clubs.
I also lump Amazon into this category, even though the ecommerce giant doesn’t have warehouse-sized stores.
These big, corporate retailers use their massive footprints to beat out smaller shops on inventory. They also use their purchasing power to command the lowest prices from suppliers. And they lean on the scale of their entire operation to provide better return policies, more payment options, and convenience features like ship-to-store and same-day delivery.
1. Inventory
Your big box store is the clear winner on inventory. The brick-and-mortar big box stores have the space to stock sizes, styles, and colors of many different garments — plus household cleaners, food, and cat litter.
And then there’s Amazon. Love Amazon or hate it, you can’t argue against the size of Amazon’s inventory. It’s huge. You can buy some 353 million products on Amazon, about 12 million of which are from Amazon’s own product lines.
2. Price
Big box stores have lower retail prices because they have the purchasing power to negotiate lower prices from suppliers. Walmart, for example, has a long history of squeezing its suppliers to pay as little as possible for the product on the shelves.
This is good and bad, right? The squeeze ultimately gets you a lower price on t-shirts and nail polish. But it also forces suppliers to support Walmart’s price advantage but cutting their own profit potential.
3. Return policies
Big stores generally have more flexible return policies. From my own foray into boutique management, I can tell you that it’s near-impossible for small shops to offer free shipping both ways or an open-door return policy. They don’t have the sales volume or the profit margin to support that.
This again ties back to purchasing power. Small shops pay more for the product they stock than the big boys do. That difference requires them to cut out certain perks, like generous return policies.
4. Payment options
American Express touts the importance of shopping at small businesses, but you’re pressed to find a small biz that accepts the card. Why? Because it’s expensive to accept the Amex and many small businesses prefer to spare themselves the extra cost.
Big box stores regularly accept Amex and everything else, including Klarna and Afterpay installments.
5. Convenience
Would you rather drop into five stores on Saturday or one? Or, would you rather shop from home, browsing online for what you want, or head downtown because your favorite boutique doesn’t have a website?
Big box stores have the edge on convenience. Convenience is completing all your weekend errands with one trip to Target or you shopping Try Before You Buy on Amazon with a glass of wine in your hand.
3 reasons to shop boutiques
Now let’s talk boutiques. These are the one-off shops you find on Main Streets, in cute downtowns, and touristy destinations. While it’s tough for them to compete with the big guys on inventory and price, they do offer a better overall experience for the fashion-minded shopper.
1. Personalized help
Generally, boutiques have friendlier staff. These are the folks who greet you when you walk in, answer questions with a smile, and offer to help as appropriate. That’s very different from the sullen teenager who’s talking over you to another Target employee as you’re checking out.
There are exceptions, of course. I’ve met the sullen teenager in a boutique and the friendly helper in a big box store. But more often, it’s the other way around — probably because the person working in the store is either the owner or someone close to the owner. As such, they care more about the impression they make.
2. Originality of collection
I love shopping for friends in boutiques because the inventory is so much more interesting. Think about it: A small shop only has so much retail space. What they choose to sell is taken very seriously.
What’s more, when you find a boutique you love, chances are you can keep coming back to find the restocks just as interesting. Why? Because the owner or buyer shares your taste.
3. Browsing experience
Strolling into a boutique is an experience. You wander through the store slowly, exploring colors, shapes, and styles. You peek at price tags. You think about what you might wear this with or that with. You chat up the help.
Shopping big box stores, on the other hand, is task completion. You need a neutral sweater, so you drop one into your cart — next to the tampons and the jar of peanut butter.
When I want to experience shopping, I head to the boutiques. When I need to check an item off a shopping list, you’ll find me in Target.
On the economic impact
This is a tough one. Do you feel better about supporting an entrepreneur’s livelihood or the thousands of jobs created by the big box store?
Shopping at small shops means you’re supporting your neighbor. Shopping at big box stores means you’re supporting wealthy investors who bank in Switzerland, but those big box stores also provide a whole lotta jobs. So who is the winner?
Shop big and small
You can always straddle the debate and dabble in big and small shopping. Head to the big stores when you’re on a mission and strapped for time. But then also give yourself time to explore boutiques once in a while. Your local shop owners would love to see you pop in.