Study finds small retail businesses struggle with brand identity

UK retail small businesses are struggling to differentiate themselves according to new research released by Vistaprint and run the risk of “merging into one”.  

The study found that 40% of small businesses in the retail sector may be guilty of not branding themselves effectively, leaving them exposed to missed business opportunities.

Based on analysis of 1,000 UK business websites, the study uncovered the most common mistakes businesses make when branding themselves including; playing it safe with colours and using clichéd adjectives to describe their offering.

The top branding pitfalls identified in the retail sector are: cliched or overused adjectives with 40% of small businesses in the retail sector used clichéd adjectives to describe themselves. This compares with a UK average of 33%.

The most commonly used descriptors used include ‘largest, specialists and family-run’.
Vistaprint said that by using the same language businesses risk “merging into one” and need to consider better ways to stand out from competition

Another pitfall found was 19% of small businesses in the retail sector use the same colour in their branding. The colour blue the most popular used UK-wide with 46% of small businesses using the same colour.

Jake Amos head of UK marketing at Vistaprint said: “There are so many brilliant creative and individual small businesses in the retail sector, however there can be a disconnect in how many of them communicate that individuality to their customers. It can be overwhelming for small business owners when first starting out.

“Finding the best way to brand and market their business is an important step in their journey towards success. These businesses possess immense individuality, but they sometimes need a helping hand in how to communicate it.”