Canadian Music Trade - December / January 2020 | Page 9

From The Floor
Majority of Shoppers Admit to
“Showrooming”
From the Canadian Federation of Independent Business
A Major Pain Point
for Small Retailers
Shoppers aged 18 to 34
were more likely than
older consumers to
showroom shop, with
three out of four admit-
ting to having done it
and one in seven even
saying they do it often,
according to a survey
CFIB conducted among
a representative sample
of Canadians who are
London Guitars in London, ON
members of the Angus
Reid Forum.
“Showrooming” – when shoppers
CFIB received hundreds of comments
visit local businesses to try out or learn
from retailers detailing their showrooming
about a product, but then buy it from a big
experiences:
box store or online competitor – is a major
problem for independent merchants heading
• One had a customer so bold that after
into the busy holiday season, warns the Ca-
spending time discussing a product, they
nadian Federation of Independent Business
ordered it online from a different retailer
(CFIB).
right there on the spot.
In fact, 60 per cent of independent
• A jeweler in Manitoba said a customer
retailers say they have experienced show-
consulted her at length to choose the best
rooming, with a third of those saying it’s
design and materials for a custom bracelet
having a significant impact on their business,
but ordered it online.
according to a new CFIB survey. A separate
• A paint store in Ontario has homeowners
poll of shoppers finds that 55 per cent of
and builders who come in for colour ad-
consumers are doing it.
vice, but take the paint sample to a big box
“When customers go into independent
store to get a match in a cheaper product.
stores to ask questions or try on merchan-
dise and then take a picture or write down
“You wouldn’t sit down in a restaurant just
a model number so they can buy the item
to read the menu and get some cooking tips
online, they might not be aware that they’re
from the chef before heading to the grocery
not just taking away a sale – they’re taking
store,” adds Ryan Mallough, director at
money away from their neighbourhoods.
CFIB and lead author of the survey. “Show-
These are the shops that support local kids’
rooming may seem harmless, but it can real-
hockey teams or donate to the community
ly hurt independent retailers and undermine
foodbank every Christmas,” says CFIB
the health of local communities – especially
President Dan Kelly. “They care about their
during the make-or-break holiday season
customers and want to help and share their
when they’re competing against big box
expertise, but their rent, their property
stores and online giants.”
taxes, and their employees need to be paid.
Ultimately, when consumers take up the
Holiday Cheer Not Lost on
time of local retailers but spend their money
Independent Retailers
elsewhere, it’s our communities that suffer.”
Independent retailers are deeply grateful and
appreciative of their customers. “While small
retailers wish their customers might better
understand the challenges they face and the
contributions they make to their commu-
nities, the number one thing they wanted
to say to their customers was, ‘Thank you’,”
concludes Kelly. “[For this year’s holiday
shopping season], we encourage consumers to
save themselves the crowds and clicks and vis-
it their local, independent merchants. They’ll
thank you and pay it forward.”
Read the full results of the CFIB’s “2019
National Retail Sector Survey” via its
website, www.cfib.ca.
Methodology:
The public opinion survey was conducted
by CFIB from September 11-13, 2019, with
a representative sample of n=1,510 online
Canadians who are members of the Angus
Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in
English and French. The poll is accurate to
within +/- 1.8 percentage points, 19 times
out of 20, had all Canadians been polled.
All sample surveys and polls may be subject
to other sources of error, including but not
limited to coverage error and measurement
error.
The CFIB National Retail Sector survey
was conducted from November 7-November
21, 2019, and is based on a sample of 1,370
small business owners from Canada. For
comparison purposes, a probability sample
with the same number of respondents would
have a margin of error of +/- 2.65 per cent,
19 times out of 20.
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent
Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association
of small and medium-sized businesses with
110,000 members across every industry and re-
gion. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business
owners’ chances of success by driving policy
change at all levels of government, providing
expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclu-
sive savings. Learn more at www.cfib.ca.
CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE 9