5 ways to stand out against retail giants

Amanda Stierwalt-Green

Manager, Product Management, Global Payments

What really sets you apart as a small business retail owner? Own it.

Let me be honest: No one loves a big box store. So why do they shop there? The price, the speed, the convenience. But your store? People love your store. The vibe, the warmth, the attention to detail and the way your team greets them by name. That’s your edge, and it’s powerful.

As a former retail small business owner and now managing how we build products at Global Payments, I know how hard it is to stand out when the competition includes ecommerce giants and national chains. But I also know this: Small retailers aren’t just surviving — they’re gaining ground.

In this blog, I’m sharing the most actionable takeaways from our recent webinar, “David vs. Goliath: Taking on Amazon and the big box giants.”

I was joined by my colleagues Keenan Kok-Carlson and Neeharika Nagisetty. Together, we dug into how small retailers can build stronger customer loyalty, create standout in-person experiences and use simple digital tools to punch way above their weight. If you’re looking to grow your business — and keep customers coming through your doors — keep reading.

Why being small is your superpower

There’s no sugarcoating it: Big stores have scale. But what they don’t have is soul.

And right now, shoppers are noticing. While headlines focus on national chains, there’s a quiet shift happening. Consumer spending at small businesses is up. In fact, many shoppers are going out of their way to support local — especially when the experience feels personal and the products are unique.

But being small doesn’t mean you have it easy. You’re juggling everything: hitting revenue goals, managing costs, meeting rising customer expectations — and doing it all with limited resources. That’s exactly why it’s so important to double down on what makes your store different: your people, your story, your products and the magic of a truly personal experience.

In my own community, I’ve watched customers drive over an hour from a metropolitan city to visit our local shoe store. It’s not because they couldn’t buy sneakers somewhere else, but because they wanted that personalized, face-to-face experience. The owner knows me by name. The last time I went in, even though the store was crowded, he came over to say hello, measured my daughter's foot himself and let me know she'll be moving up to women's sizes soon. He helped me translate her children's size to a woman’s size. And it was that unique experience that has us continuing to shop there.

People come back for the experience, not just the product

Your product matters. But the reason people come back? That’s all about how you make them feel.

Think about it. At my local jewelry store, the way they wrap a purchase — gorgeous branded bags, free gift wrap during the holidays — turns a simple transaction into a moment. At our local grocery store, the team still carries your bags to the car and stocks locally made gifts you won’t find at national chains. That’s what turns customers into regulars and regulars into fans.

If you want to stand out, think about what makes shopping with you feel different. Can you hand-write thank-you notes? Offer small, unexpected freebies? Curate hard-to-find items? These little touches don’t just compete, they win hearts, which is what makes being small so special.

Loyalty programs don’t have to be fancy, they just have to work

According to Kok-Carlson, loyal customers aren’t just more likely to return — they’re often willing to spend more. A 5% increase in customer retention can drive up to 95% more revenue over time¹. That’s a stat worth paying attention to.

The good news? Loyalty doesn’t have to mean building a complex points system. Start small. A punch card for every purchase. A birthday discount. Exclusive early access to new products. Whatever you choose, the key is simplicity. Your customers should understand it right away and actually want to use it.

And if you’re using a point of sale system with built-in loyalty features, take the time to activate and customize them. Make it fun. Make it feel like a reward, not a task. A good loyalty program feels like a gift, not a gimmick.

Turn your store into a destination worth visiting

You can’t out-Amazon Amazon. But you can be the place people want to spend a Saturday.

I’ve seen it firsthand: game nights hosted at a local restaurant. Hand-lettering workshops inside a boutique. Gift-wrapping parties during the holidays. All of it creates community and drives sales.

Think about creative ways to bring people through the door, especially after hours. Can you partner with a local artist? Host a paint-and-sip event? Offer commissions to other local makers who want to sell their work through your store?

And don’t stop there. Build alliances with other shops in your area. I used to be part of a downtown merchants’ association that pooled marketing budgets and co-hosted holiday events. I also chaired a retail trades committee through our chamber of commerce, where every year we gave away $10,000 in prizes — but customers had to spend that money at participating small businesses. That’s the kind of win-win that gets people excited to shop local.

Don’t just compete on style — show up online, too

It’s tempting to think that standing out in person is enough. But digital visibility is table stakes now. That doesn’t mean you need a full-time social media manager. It means using free tools already at your fingertips.

Kok-Carlson shared how a pancake-loving restaurant in Chicago built a 3-million-strong following with nothing but silly videos and a smartphone. That kind of creative, human content can drive serious foot traffic.

Start with the basics: Claim your Google Business Profile. Post weekly on Instagram or TikTok, even if it’s just to show off a new display or introduce your staff. Use your POS data to see what’s selling and promote those items online. And don’t forget reputation management: Responding to reviews (even the negative ones) shows you care.

A final thought

Small businesses aren’t just part of the economy — they’re the heartbeat of the community. When you put care into what you offer, how you serve and how you show up, people notice. They come back. They tell their friends. Seriously, I personally interact with every social post I see of local businesses, even if it's just a 'like'. It's my way of saying, ‘I support you too.’

You don’t have to be the biggest. You just have to be the most you.

As I said during the webinar, every small retail business is a dream in motion. When you support one, you’re not just buying a product — you’re investing in someone’s story. And I’m proud to keep building tools and products that help that story keep growing.

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Amanda Stierwalt-Green

Amanda Stierwalt-Green is a manager of Product Management at Global Payments, where she combines her deep expertise in retail with a passion for understanding the unique needs of business owners to manage partnerships, integrations and product. As a former retail small business owner, Amanda draws on her firsthand experience to approach product development with empathy, always prioritizing the end user in her decisions. Amanda is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections with business owners and partners to deliver impactful products tailored to their needs.

Neeharika Nagisetty

Neeharika Nagisetty is a seasoned marketing leader with nearly 20 years of experience, including 14 years specializing in payments. As senior director of Product Marketing at Global Payments, she is at the forefront of shaping transformative go-to-market strategies that drive innovation in the payments ecosystem. She is passionate about empowering retailers to thrive in an increasingly complex digital economy.

Keenan Kok-Carlson

Keenan Kok-Carlson is a seasoned senior product sales specialist at Global Payments with experience working with sales, product and marketing to help merchants navigate the dynamic payments and retail landscape. He has a passion for engagement and connection, focusing on creating solutions that address the unique challenges retailers face.

[1] https://hbr.org/2014/10/the-value-of-keeping-the-right-customers