Our E-Commerce & Retail category covers how people shop and how local businesses earn their trust. We look at Main Street storefronts and online stores alike. Topics include local retail trends, customer reviews and reputation. We also explore the shopping experience, both in-store and online. Our marketing guides help neighborhood businesses reach more shoppers. Retailers, small business owners and curious shoppers will find practical insights here.
I spend a lot of time walking downtowns, because that’s where local retail store trends show up long before they reach a quarterly report. Not malls, not power centers, but the four to twelve block stretches with a hardware store, a bookshop, two coffee places that pretend not to compete, and a boutique whose owner…