Small businesses selling locally that couldn't affordably ship their products have a great new opportunity for internet selling.

Once upon a time keeps getting shorter and shorter, doesn't it? But let's start with "once upon a time" internet sales were for selling and shipping products. The two went together like smoke and fire; where there was one, the other wasn't far behind.

COVID broke the bond.

It's not that the order locally for pickup at the store wasn't already humming along. Target had been busy pioneering the art of using their store as an internet ordering warehouse for a while, using it for online order fulfillment and return processing before the pandemic. Walmart and others - not so much. When COVID hit, Target's sales in the category of internet+local store took off. Walmart, by contrast, had to play catch-up as Target's sales grew by double digits.

Grocery stores in larger cities offered the service, but when COVID hit, the technology took off in smaller towns. Hy-Vee has a solid internet+local store option, and for people who don't enjoy window shopping for milk, it's very convenient.

Low-cost internet stores make it much easier to get into the internet+local business today. An online service like Shopify is an affordable monthly expense, and without the cost of shipping, margins can be solid.

Internet+local can break down barriers. For example, many people think of the convenience store for gas, and buying something inside is optional. Some aren't "convenience store people," and the convenience store is only for filling the gas tank. Internet+local now makes it possible to get candy for the kids, pick up pizza and some soda, all without shopping inside the store. Oh, and don't forget some milk.

What's true for the convenience store is also true for the lumber yard, the clothing store, the gift shop and the pharmacy. Unless you're selling a service, like hair styling, there's an opportunity to be found with internet+local.

Before COVID, ordering online for local pickup seemed odd. That's permanently changed, along with working from an office, meeting in person, flying for business, and going to a movie theater. Those things will still be in demand after this pandemic recedes into "once upon a time," but a sizable chunk of their business will have shifted to remote work, zoom meetings, and streaming services.

Don't miss out. Online+local is another trend that's here to stay.

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