You’re going to have a hard time surviving against the big box stores if you don’t get smart and go after those guys. There are at least 5 ways to beat them without having to fight them for price.

It’s amazing how many small retailers don’t get it. After all, there is no way they can compete on price with Walmart and Amazons of the world. To win, they have to compete on experience.

A great example of how a specialty retailer wins is Tinker Toys of Abilene, Texas. This small chain of four stores is owned and operated by a passionate businesswoman, Betsy Barton. When she walks into Tinker Toys, she doesn’t expect great deals on the clearance rack (there’s no clearance rack). But what she will get is an amazing experience.

Here are 5 things Tinker Toys teaches about competing on something besides price:

1. Offer incentives

When you walk through the door of Tinker Toys, someone is always there with a big smile. Before you know it, you have a toy in your hands. It is a small store but with a lot of space to play. Which makes it a virtual playground. And the kids love it. Tinker Toys constantly holds sidewalk sales, outdoor festivals, and fundraisers to engage the community.

2. It’s about value

Tinker Toys doesn’t shy away from their higher prices because they make up for it by providing an amazing experience. Regular customers receive a newsletter with frequent special offers, as well as special offers offered on social networks. They put the customer experience above everything else.

3. Differentiate

Big box stores aren’t going to take chances with new and different products. So the smaller shops are the first to try really cool stuff. And the good is what your customers are looking for. Often these rarities become their best sellers. Today, Tinker Toys is one of the first stores to participate in new product testing, so they are the first to know about all new ideas.

4. Go online

Tinker Toys may be small in comparison, but they have a great catalog and website to go along with that great in-store experience. We all know that online shopping is going nowhere but up, so offering this alternative to shopping will definitely be a strong key to the future success of Tinker Toys.

5. BeSocial

Tinker Toys does a great job of attracting and retaining loyal local customers. That fun newsletter, continuous website updates, social media exposure, and an owner known to everyone in Abilene and throughout the toy industry keep their fans constantly engaged. All retail businesses must be active on social media.

For retailers, competing with big box stores is always a daunting task. It just takes hard work and there are no shortcuts to success. Betsy Barton is one of the hardest workers in the toy business, but if you watch her closely, you’ll never know she’s hard at work. She looks like she’s just having a great time, doing what she really loves. what is she

Do you have a success story you’d like to share about a technique you have that is helping you compete against the big boys? We would love to know.