Mom-and-Pop shops across the country are starting to see the real value in expanding their business online. Having an online presence opens up the opportunity for these retailers to hedge the risk of selling solely to the local market. Some marketplaces like Etsy are making it easy for these shop owners to sell their unique, handmade products to customers all over the world, while also offering them the chance to showcase items in stores.

Adapting to new models of selling by “catering to consumers wherever they are — and in a robust, customized way — is a key growth strategy” for small retailers seeking to become larger than just a neighborhood store. In Diana Ransom’s recent article, “Big-Box Backlash: The Rebirth of Mom-and-Pop Shops,” she interviews Murray’s Cheese owner, Rob Kaufelt, who says “going online when you’re offline and offline if you’re online is like having a portfolio of stocks and bonds. You’re never sure if anything is going to tank. Some things might do better one year, relatively speaking to the others.”

Choosing an e-commerce platform that addresses the needs of the retailer, can make the process of launching an online store simple . SalesWarp, a robust e-commerce platform, easily connects to POS systems, giving retailers the ability to synchronize their POS with their online data. In-store and online data consolidated into one platform facilitates inventory management and automates fulfillment, reducing the stress of managing multiple sales channels. If you have any questions about the SalesWarp platform, please don’t hesitate to ask!