The third Thursday of each month the Rogers Lowell Chamber convenes merchant meetings in various locations in Downtown Rogers. Business owners and their teams talk about ways the Chamber can help them grow their business while sharing tips and ideas for our downtown community to collaborate and cultivate continued success.  

• DTR business owners and their teams gather to share news and ideas while connecting over coffee and conversation.

• The meet-up provides a forum to become familiar with the changes taking place in this rapidly growing business community.

• A key mission of the Chamber is to support small business and entrepreneurial development along with economic development for our downtown sector.

Wrapping up 2023: The December meeting took place at Underbrush Books with a presentation by co-owners, Courtney Ulrich Smith and Dominic Smith. Also owners of Dandy Roll at 105 W Walnut, the Smiths are small business advocates and proficient in creating events that grow their brand and their business. Some of the community building initiatives they have launched include:

• Shop Small Saturday Bingo
• Sip & Shop
• NWA Book Fest
• Underbrush Book Club
• Blackout Collage Poetry Nights
• Book & Wine Pairings

Working together: By sharing tips related to creating welcoming spaces, they promoted the value of Downtown Rogers' businesses positioning themselves as destination locations, or "third spaces" to attract new patrons and helps grow business. Working together to attract businesses for shopping, dining and experiences results in the rising tide lifts all ships. 

Courtney Ulrich Smith founded the NWA Book Fest. 

Why it matters: The concept of the third space is a term to designate communal spaces and destination locations where people connect during their free time, distinct from the home (first space) or work (second space). An inviting third space can be a coffee shop, bookstore, bar, or museum, any place where you can experience a transformative sense of self, identity, and connection to others. One might think of it as a place where they find their “tribe.”

Global vs local: in addition to owning two businesses in Downtown Rogers, Courtney works in the corporate world as a director of research and specializes in global retail and supply chain. Her day job keeps her focused on enterprise data intelligence retail operations and is a skilled design strategist. These skills provide her with insight into changing shopping patterns and opportunities that can be satisfied by small businesses and she shared ideas for businesses to consider to work individually and together to elevate Downtown Rogers as a destination location for shopping and experiences.

Chasing zeros. Courtney shared a trending concept referred to as "the zero consumer." This growing group of consumers tend to be dual income millennials with no kids. 

Zero consumers can be a challenge for retailers with:

• demands seamless physical and digital offerings,
• scrimp and splurge behaviors.
• They also continuously seek value, quality, variety and purpose, leaving them with little or no loyalty to brands.  

Smith encouraged the group to read McKinsey & Company's article, ‘Zero consumers': What they want and why it matters. Understanding this trend will help small businesses customize their services and connect with shoppers. The McKinsey & Company article states, "Net zero. Consumers are more concerned about value and values—in particular, they care about health, sustainability, provenance, and transparency. They’re increasingly turning to brands that offer sustainable yet affordable products."

The article goes to say, “zero consumer.” A diverse and growing segment, zero consumers share the following attributes: they’re omnichannel shoppers, they scrimp and splurge at the same time, they’re not loyal to brands, and they care about health and sustainability (even though they aren’t always willing to pay for it). They’re certainly everywhere in Asia, but they are a global phenomenon as well—and companies that don’t pay close attention to them could soon become irrelevant."

Campbell Ritter with the NWA Democrat Gazette interviewed
Courtney Ulrich Smith following the December merchant meet-up.

Hyper personalized service, is another fast growing trend. The Smiths go the extra mile with adding attractive wrapping to purchases, sending notecards by mail, printing invitations to book clubs and other events, and creating a customized list of books for individuals based on their preferences. These added value propositions send their 3rd space out the door.

Ulrich-Smith encouraged "cementing yourselves into your customers lives. They might not purchase this time, but as you become a positive in their life they come back," she explained. Something as simple as helping shoppers find products not on their shelves and making referrals to other businesses in Downtown Rogers helps builds trust and bring back repeat customers. 

Facilitating small businesses: The Rogers Lowell Chamber launched the Downtown Rogers Merchant Meet-Up to provide a program designed to facilitate connections and collaborations among Downtown Rogers businesses. Business owners, managers, and staff are invited to this monthly get-together to connect, converse, and collaborate.

Convening downtown businesses: Each month on the third Thursday, Rogers Lowell Chamber staff host downtown Rogers’ merchant meetings at a new location in DTR, inviting business owners to talk about ways the Chamber can help them grow their business while sharing tips and ideas for our downtown community to continue to cultivate success.  

Why it matters: A key mission of the Chamber is to support small business and entrepreneurial development along with economic development for our downtown sector.

For more information about these meetings, email VP of Downtown Development Karen Wagaman at [email protected].