Advantage local business

The internet has enabled a situation where a on-line store in Bangalore or Brazil is a regular shopping spot for a consumer in New York . Interesting products , consistent service and delivery mechanisms make it possible for (many) consumers to buy with ease from most physical locations across the world .

Zoom into Mumbai ( or most Indian metros for that matter ) . Traffic is a nightmare . Suburbs once one thought as being nearby now are distant . Between the sorry state of the roads , the lack of traffic regulation , poor quality of public transport (hence everyone who has a vehicle uses it ) - the result is situation that is drain on resources at every level - individual , national and planetary.

Local businesses have a natural advantage in terms of being able to offer savings on the most precious resource of the customer - TIME. A local grocery store , local book store , local bank , local spa , local florist , local coffee shop , local cinema....Of course just being local is not enough to win over consumers . And some businesses have a greater advantage by being local than others. e.g a consumer who wants to buy a high value appliance will make the effort to drive to a store 1 hour away to be able to see a wide range . And local does not mean a stand-alone store of a small business . It can be local HDFC bank branch , local Cafe Coffee Day , local PVR.

Local businesses have never had a better set of circumstances tilting the advantage in their favor . If they recognize it and spruce up their product and service offerings - everyone stands to gain :

- the business 

- the consumer - who saves time and money (otherwise spent on commuting )

- other citizens - who can possibly encounter lesser traffic on the roads !

- Fuel savings - for the consumer , nation and planet

Local businesses thriving can bring a whole host of benefits to the community . It can open up opportunities for entrepreneurs to start businesses locally , open up local employment opportunities for people residing in an area ( a 10 min commute to work in a city like Mumbai is a perk that beats membership to a fancy club ) .

A 100 years ago life was largely local for most inhabitants of the planet because transportation was limited . In cities like Mumbai we are approaching that way of life in varying degrees for reasons that have to do largely with transportation.