Group hears lesson on shopping habits
Delores Kelley presented the program “How Our Shopping Habits Help Predict the Future of our Community” to the Heart-N-Hands Extension Homemakers Club. The meeting was held at the Pursuit Church in White Hall, according to a news release.
Kelley shared ways that shopping has changed over the years. Currently, large retailers dominate the marketplace, offering perceived lower prices and one-stop shopping, according to the presentation. Consumers do more focused shopping and less browsing. People are more inclined to make one-stop shopping trips than to go to shopping malls. Customer service remains the number one competitive advantage for small retailers.
Merchants and service providers are in business to provide a living for themselves and their families. They want and need people as their customers, Kelley explained.
“When you shop in your local community, your dollars stay in the community. We need to shop locally to support our community. When visiting shoppers are in town, they bring outside dollars into your local community,” according to the presentation.
Kelley asked the Heart-NHands members to consider what they would change to make their community more ideal. She stressed personally knowing the retailers in the community. People can make a difference by shopping locally as a routine and encourage others to do so.
Kelley, club president, also conducted the business session of the meeting. She requested that Heart-N-Hands continue bringing cans of soup for the Transformation Backpack Program. Members can always make monetary donations.
Kelley announced that there would be a county fellowship tour that will include a tour of the new Pine Bluff/ Jefferson County Public Library, the ARTSPACE and the Black Box Theater.
EHC members were also hosting craft workshops at the local library branches — Pine Bluff, Watson Chapel, White Hall, Altheimer, and Redfield — to encourage non-members to join EHC.
After the Heart-N-Hands meeting, Brenda Robinson taught a Crow Craft Workshop.
Upcoming activities include Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council (AEHC) Craft Retreat at the Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View on Nov. 3-5; Heart-N-Hands EHC meeting followed by a Gnome Craft Workshop; and Christmas Council at Pursuit Church on Dec. 7.