Why small is more often better than big business for many consumers

THEEE times as many consumers would choose a small business for goods or services than a large business if price and convenience were equal, according to new research. AXA Business Insurance, part of one of the UK’s largest insurers, polled UK consumers to establish the motivators when it comes to a choice between buying goods or services from small or big businesses.

Opening hours are cited as the biggest reason that consumers shop from big rather than small businesses, with price the second biggest reason.

Although when it comes to paying more, consumers on average are happy to pay about five per cent more when buying from a small business.

For more expensive items this rises marginally to six per cent.

But in many other areas consumers believe that small businesses are winning hands down over their bigger competitors.

Customer service is considered to be a key area of benefit when using a small business – three quarters of consumers considered that small businesses do this better than big businesses.

And providing a “real person” to deal with tops the list of things small businesses do better than their bigger counter- parts.