Duhhh!!! Ok, we are stating the obvious, but a better understanding of the difference could lead to improved sales.
Tourists (bless them), are in a very favourable mindset when they visit our stalls. They are usually on holidays, in a relaxed state of mind, doing things they don’t get to do every week, and out for fun. They walk into your stall with a smile and they are more concerned with the experience than with boring things like price. They are often seeing goods that are not normally available to them and so are excited by the prospects. They are also committed, because it is too late to think about buying once they get home. They need to make a decision now. In fact they are the ultimate customer and at the top end of The Queen Victoria Market we are very lucky because 70% of our customers are tourists.
Locals, on the other hand, are shopping in a normal business week surrounded by their normal day to day worries. They are going to be a lot more conscious of price and they will be prepared to “go away and think about it”. Unlike tourists they don’t need to make a quick decision. After all they’ll be here and we’ll be here next week, or next month. They are more likely to find similar items elsewhere and they are often shopping with time constraints so the relaxed, easygoing mood is not so obvious.
Are locals lesser customers? Obviously not – we just need to understand the different environment they are shopping in and adjust our response. Locals are always going to be harder to sell to but, the big advantage they have over tourists, is that they can become regular customers. In a nutshell – “Suck it up!” and be prepared to put more work into locals – the rewards can be substantial.
Defn: “Suck it up!” - To endure a period of mental, physical, or emotional hardship with no complaining.