a grouping of natural beeswax candles and blocks of beeswax in different shapes on a burgundy cloth

When is Selling 'Local' a Detriment to Your Business

beeswax candlesThere is a movement towards buying ‘local’. We always feel good about supporting entrepreneurs in our communities. Some of them may be friends and neighbors. I always love farmer's markets and buying local fresh produce. If you are a business however, have you ever thought that your loyalty to ‘local’ could be detrimental to sales? I saw an example of this last month.

A loyal Honey Candles customer called because the store she frequented had carried Honey Candles for years and now had reduced their Honey Candles line to make way for a ‘local’ beeswax candle company. She tried the local brand and was very disappointed. She tried to make it work but it just didn’t. This is someone who knows candles and after several attempts to enjoy the local brand she gave up. She actually went outside her community to shop somewhere else because they did have Honey Candles. After several trips she said this is silly and she called me. She placed an order for over $800 in beeswax Honey Candles.

Did her store let down? She may have felt so. Fortunately she can order directly from us but those are sales the store is missing out on.

Think carefully before you dump a tried and true brand in your store when someone approaches you with a ‘local’ alternative. Chances are if the tried and true brand has been around for a while it is for a reason. It has stood the test of time and has developed loyal customers.  In the case of Honey Candles, our candles have been tested to be sure we have the best quality wick. We state accurate burn times and we test burn over and over before releasing a candle. Our 100% pure beeswax is well filtered because that is what you need for a candle to burn well. We don’t want candles that sputter and smoke and won’t burn. We have been around since 1994 - that should tell you something.

When I got off the phone with the customer who ordered directly from us because her store didn’t have the beeswax candle she had come to trust anymore, I was very grateful for her loyalty. I wonder if that store is losing other sales to disgruntled customers that are ordering on-line and haven’t told me their story. I know other stores have disappointed their Honey Candles customers because I have heard a similar story more than a few times when people call to place their order. Are you one of them?

Related blogs:

Handy Tips From Pat to Ensure You Purchase the Best Beeswax Candles

Photo by Marlie Marchewka

Published By Pat Cattermole

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