Retailers in Southwest Florida rang-up $22,714,044,000 in retail sales last year, according to Nielsen. But wait. It's about to get better.

The National Retail Federation forecasts that in 2020, sales will increase by as much as 4.1%. This will create another $931 million for local small business owners.  

“The economy is growing at a more modest pace, but the underlying economic fundamentals remain in place and are positive,” stated NRF chief economist Jack Kleinhenz. “Consumers remain upbeat and have the confidence to spend, and the steady wage growth that has come with the strong job market is fueling their spending. The state of the consumer is very healthy.

To claim a fair share of this enlarged pool of spending will require Fort Myers-Naples small business owners to advertise.

“Think you have a great product?” asks the U.S. Small Business Administration. “Unfortunately, no one’s going to know about it unless you advertise.”  

As Valentine's Day sales begin to dwindle, that's when Southwest Florida small business owners start thinking about Mom.

Mother's Day, which happens on the second Sunday of May, is second only to Christmas in terms of holiday spending. Last year, SWFL consumers spent more than $94-million celebrating the women in their lives. That number is expected to grow again in 2020.

To claim a significant share of this Mother's Day cash, local retailers and restaurants will need to advertise.  By almost every key metric, advertising on Fort Myers radio is the best choice.

Low unemployment, a boom in housing starts, and confident consumers are propelling robust sales for Southwest Florida furniture stores.

In 2019, local consumers in the Fort Myers-Naples area spent $460,000,000 on furniture and home furnishing. This number is expected to grow.

Based on estimates developed by Furniture Today’s Strategic Insights team and Easy Analytic Software Inc. (EASI), the total furniture and bedding market is projected to expand by more than 22% by 2024.

If an SWFL small business owner who sells furniture, furnishings, or home decor would like to grab a larger share of this expanding market, then advertising is necessary.  By almost every key metric, advertising on local radio is a sound marketing investment.

Southwest Florida consumers cannot get enough pizza.

In 2012, there were just 359 local pizza restaurants. Today, however, that number has grown to 388. In 2019, these establishments racked up $182,473,484 in total sales.

Fifty-nine percent of pizza sales in the Fort Myers-Naples area are rung-up by one of the top-50 chains like Domino's or Pizza Hut. The remaining 41% of revenue is controlled by independent, small business owners.

To compete for a larger share of the pizza pie in SWFL requires local restaurant owners to bring in new customers. A proven way to accomplish this is with advertising.

The US Small Business Administration recommends that every Fort Myers area small business advertise consistently.  

Consumers in Southwest Florida spent a record $1.3 billion on home improvements in 2019. This level of spending is projected to drop modestly next year, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

“Declining home sales and home-building activity coupled with slower gains in permitting for improvement projects will put the brakes on remodeling growth,” says Chris Herbert, the center’s managing director.

“However, if falling mortgage interest rates continue to incentivize home sales, refinancing, and ultimately remodeling activity, the slowdown may soften some.”

If Fort Myers-Naples area small businesses that sell home improvement products and services would like to continue to grow despite the softening market, then advertising will be required.

For Southwest Florida small business owners who depend on Valentine's Day to spike first-quarter sales, this year could prove to be a battle as the decline in celebrants is expected to continue.

Based on estimates from the National Retail Federation, 523,000 SWFL consumers will be participating in the holiday this year. This is 20% fewer than ten years ago.

There is good news, however, for local  business owners. Although there are will be fewer customers, local Valentine's Day spending is expected to grow to $84.8-million. This is 28% higher than a decade ago.

So, how does a local retailer or restaurant win the battle for the hearts and wallets of romantic consumers?  Advertising is a necessary weapon to win this war.

No weapon is as potent as advertising on Fort Myers radio.

When Southwest Florida consumers make their New Year's resolutions, many will have money on their minds.

A new study by Fidelity Investments finds that 67% of adults are considering a financial resolution for 2020. This is 10% more than last year.

The top financial resolution, among those considering one is, 'saving more'. The study found that, when asked to choose, a vast majority of consumers would rather save $5000 than lose five pounds.

This fervor for finance is excellent news for SWFL small business owners who cater to savers and investors. This includes financial advisors, insurance agents, bankers, accountants, and mortgage brokers.

To compete for a fair share of these resolution dollars requires business owners to advertise. By any metric, the best way to reach potential savers and investors is on Fort Myers radio.

The buying power of Black consumers in Southwest Florida is now $1.8 billion. Over the past 19 years, according to Nielsen, the pace of spending by African Americans has grown 28% faster than by White consumers.

If a local small business owner would like to earn a larger share of this spending, the best place to start is with advertising.

"For African American consumers, advertising of all types is an important touchpoint in their shopping journey," says a recent study by Nielsen. "African American consumers are more likely than the total population to agree that advertising provides them with meaningful information about the product use of other consumers."

"African Americans are avid media consumers, across multiple media channels, which gives advertisers ample opportunities to connect with them."

The best advertising medium, though, for small business owners to reach local African American consumers is on Fort Myers radio.

There's a reason many Southwest Florida small business owners target their advertising towards consumers who have completed a four-year college degree. It's because, typically, university graduates earn $29,106 more per year than those with only a high school diploma, according to The Federal Reserve.

There are, according to Nielsen, 357,458   college graduates living in the Fort Myers-Naples area. In total, this population generates $19.9 billion in annual take-home pay.

To tap into a similar pool of spending power, a marketer would need to reach 442,109 consumers who did not go beyond high school. The problem is, there is only about 79% of that number living in Southwest Florida

The number of people reached by a campaign is, generally, what determines the cost of advertising. So, for an SWFL small business owner operating on a tight marketing budget, spending can be kept in check by targeting those consumers with the most money to spend. In this case, college graduates.

Attention Southwest Florida small business owners. The five busiest shopping days of the year are imminent.

Based on data from the National Retail Federation, more than 667,000 Fort Myers-Naples area consumers are likely to shop beginning on Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday.

“The tradition of Thanksgiving weekend holiday shopping has become a five-day event with consumers spending money in stores, supporting local small businesses, and online with their mobile devices and computers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Even as people are starting to purchase gifts earlier in the season, consumers still enjoy finding good Thanksgiving deals and passing time shopping with family and friends over the long holiday weekend.”

Based on the NRF findings, here are the number of shoppers local business owners can expect on each of these five days: