Already the impact is being felt in the local “village” near where I live. Even before Covid-19 hit, the fruit shop had closed, brought to its knees by the small format of a large supermarket. And now, the cafes are struggling, the barber is quiet and the drycleaner’s business has slowed from a stream to a trickle. After all, who needs a pressed shirt, when meetings are now being held via Zoom?

If we want a vibrant and interesting streetscape, JobKeeper ultimately won’t do the job. We need what I am calling “ShopKeeper” – a campaign that is born of the people rather than the politicians – with each of us making a personal and considered ongoing contribution to small retail.

Here’s my proposed ShopKeeper commitment:

Love local: If you have a choice, support your local retailer first. The big guys will get along just fine.

Round up: Australians aren’t known as tippers, but at least consider rounding purchases up. I got a haircut recently for $23 and made the total $25. Not a big deal, but appreciated by the barber. Every dollar counts.

Spread the word: Ratings and reviews matter, so if you like the service, take the time to do a Google review. Five stars for you.

Be an angel: Spread the love at your local cafe and shout the next customer a surprise coffee. Or go even further and treat the homeless person on the corner. It costs you little and means a lot.

Get back in the habit: Covid-19 smashed our shopping routines. So, think about rediscovering the bookshop or eatery you used to visit regularly.

As an opinion piece in The Atlantic recently stated: “The virus will reduce to rubble many thousands of cherished local stores.” According to the article, in the long term, this will cause rent reductions, which ultimately will encourage a new breed of stores to open. But that’s not guaranteed – and in the meantime we will see holes in the streetscape and a flurry of “For lease” signs.  

This winter, American Express has brought forward and extended its Small Shop campaign, running it for three months till August 31, with an incentive to get $5 back on purchases 10 times ($50 in total on your card). That’s a great initiative, but perhaps we need a plan that is based on behavioural change – and longer term.

Are you up for the idea of ShopKeeper and keeping small retail trading?

Even before the pandemic hit and when the bushfires ravaged Australia, several initiatives were launched to help promote local retailers, such as the Buy from the Bush campaign which generated $5 million for small businesses in June. Other initiatives which have rolled out in the past few months include the launch of the Buy Aussie Now online marketplace, eBay’s partnership with Australian Made and the Australian Fashion Council’s ‘We Are Australian’ campaign.

“We want shopping Australian to be a longer-term switch for this country. Let’s always make Aussie brands, businesses and products our first thought every time we sip and not just during difficult periods. This will support the nation, families, friends and local communities and keep jobs and investment here,” said Buy Aussie Now CEO Chris White.

Jon Bird is CEO at VMLY&R Australia & New Zealand.

This story appears in the August 19, 2020, issue of Inside Retail Weekly.