8 Rural and Small Town Trends for 2017

Rural OmniLocal. Instead of waiting for customers to walk in the front door, smart rural businesses are using the same omni channel tactics as big businesses. In order to reach more than just the local customers in their small towns, rural businesses are selling via their own websites, platforms like Amazon or Etsy, custom apps, automated deliveries and monthly subscription boxes. Independent Workforce. Contingent workers, independent professionals, are all converging as more people make their own way while staying rural, rather than moving to the big city for jobs. Because rural independent workers have a lower cost of living than urban ones, they are better able to compete in digital talent marketplaces. Innovative Rural Business Models. Small town businesses are not just the mom-and-pop retail store downtown.  Other innovations are also taking hold. Smaller business experiments are replacing all-in bets on a full-size business, maybe filling only a couple of hundred square feet instead of 5,000 square feet. Local Stores Beat Big Boxes. Big box stores are tipping into a scale implosion of their own making, as they close stores, shed square footage and generally try to adjust to a retail future that is splitting around them. Their special skill used to be the huge selection and low price. The other side is the return to customer service, curated selections and the enjoyment of shopping. That is where local retail eats their lunch. Local Stores Beat Online — For Some Things.