Local Shops Vie For Holiday Business

Sometimes, when you’re shopping for a last-minute item or an unusual gift, the malls and the national chains just won’t do.

That’s when it’s time to turn to smaller, locally owned stores, according to owners of niche retail stores such as Heroes and Dragons and Modern Age Tobacco and Gifts, both of which call St. Andrews home.

While there’s no shortage of big-box shopping opportunities in St. Andrews, and Dutch Square Center includes regional retailers like Belk as well as national chains, these stores often can’t offer the level of customer service or employee expertise, said John Hopkins, an employee at Modern Age Tobacco and Gifts.

“It’s about customer service, period,” Hopkins said. “People like to look, and they like to talk to someone who knows what they are talking about. The larger (a chain) gets, the less the employees are going to know about individual products.”

Another advantage to shopping with local merchants is they are more likely to send you to another merchant if they don’t have what you want.

“I know every other tobacco store in Columbia,” Hopkins said. “If I don’t have what you want, I’ll send you to someone who does. And you won’t find that in larger businesses. It’s that sense of customer service: A happy customer is a good customer.”

Ben Burnside, a manager at Heroes and Dragons, which specializes in comic books and fantasy games, said he understands people wanting to save money by shopping at national discount stores, but “people have to think long-term,” he said. “Local businesses are the lifeblood of a community.

“You get more customer satisfaction as opposed to a big-box store,” Burnside said. “And a smaller retailer will work with you. You can speak directly to a manager or the owner.”

Tight budgets are no reason to avoid local retailers, either, according to Tiffany N. Boyce, president and CEO of the Greater Irmo Chamber of Commerce, who said independents are often able to match prices if given the chance.

“In this economy, it’s been tougher for the smaller businesses,” Boyce said. “People tend to not spend as much. But now more than ever, small businesses are really promoting service and price. They’re trying to reach out to everybody.”