INDUSTRY TIPS: Reading Customers, and Creating a Unique Shopping Experience

The Hartman Group offers some do's and don'ts for retailers when it comes to making shoppers feel welcome in their stores. This is further to the perspective that shoppers are now value shoppers, and feel more emotionally connected to their shopping experience (and therefore ask more questions before making a purchase to ensure that it is worthwhile). The list of tips comes as an addition to an article by Abbie Westra (reprinted with permission by the CSP Information Group) about value shoppers.

______________________

The Hartman Group gives marching orders through a list of dos and don’ts:

* Do: Become more than a commoditized source for products by engaging and connecting with the shopper. This occurs through your team. They should be passionate and “empowered with autonomy to express said passion.”
* Don’t: Pursue an unusually aggressive pricing strategy. “Lacking any value-add, such as engaging team members or promoting emotional connections, you will simply be encouraging a cohort of multi-channel consumers (‘bottom-feeders’) who will cherry-pick your lowest margin offerings before leaving for greener pastures.”
* Do: Consider creative, non-discount based promotional strategies. “The act of unilaterally giving away a featured product activates cultural norms of reciprocity, which literally compel the shopper to return the favor (by returning).”
* Don’t: Remind shoppers of the recession. It only adds to their anxiety. Instead of “recession-buster specials,” reference nostalgia and promote comfort foods.
* Do: Engage with consumers in a way that subtly communicates opportunities for value and thrill. California Pizza Kitchen created a scratch-off program in which customers can win anything from an appetizer to cash prizes—the catch is you have to bring the coupon in on your next visit to be scratched by the waitperson.
* Don’t: Institute across-the-board price cuts. These often go unnoticed and fail to generate buzz.
* Do: Maintain an unwavering focus on product quality, and investigate how your customer understands your brand from a consumption perspective. This includes menu and product mix.

Whether the sky is falling or not—and it’s not, says Paschel—“there is always room for innovation and success by those who can do things really well.”

SOURCE: Hartman Group