A
business presentation for traders had to be cancelled today due to lack of
interest from traders and that deserves some kick back..
Australia
Post were to present to traders on some of their latest innovations in their
online customer engagement and parcel delivery services. These have been
globally identified as two key elements for retailers looking to move with the
times as consumers trend to technology and convenience when buying goods. But
the presentation at QVM was cancelled due to lack of trader interest.
Food
delivery services are growing in popularity, fired up particularly by Amazon's
relentless march to same day delivery for all its customers. Australian and
international air travellers are constantly hounded by airlines to reduce their
luggage. So it is surprising that, with thousands of tourists on our doorstep
everyday, very few of us offer a convenient delivery alternative to help
guarantee that we get their business. And the presentation by Australia Post
was cancelled this week due to lack of trader interest.
Online
buying is a growing component of consumer decision making and it is no wonder
why. Two weeks ago on a Wednesday I discovered that I was about to run out of
printer ink needed for printing labels and leaflets for my market business. At
two o'clock on that Wednesday I placed an online order with a Melbourne
printing cartridge supplier through eBay. At 10 o'clock the next morning (less
than 24 hours) the cartridges arrived at my post office for pickup. That is service,
although if I am honest, the postage gods were unusually active that day. Yet a
presentation by Australia Post to show how traders could offer online services
was cancelled due to lack of trader interest.
There
is a tendency for some traders to separate retailing into bricks'n'mortar and
online. That is partly because they are quite different in nature and partly
because online seems a little too technical to comfortably embrace. Change is
hard. But our customers have no such problem. They are simply looking for a
convenient way to buy goods and whether we like or not, that will sometimes
mean visiting a shop, and sometimes buying online, or at least over the phone.
I recently had reason to search for a watch online for a special family
occasion and I was astonished at how web presence has changed. I found the
usual niche online watch suppliers but they are now joined by Myer, David Jones,
Thomas The Jewellers, and a whole range of mainstream retailers. Try searching
online for a common shopping item and see how many traditional retailers show
up.
Personal
and personable service will always be our strength as market traders but it
will not be enough on its own. As retailers we need to offer those extra
services that help grab sales, no matter how foreign or uncomfortable they
might be right now. Simple logic suggests they will become second nature, and it is
all those one percenters that add up to success.
And
one final point - Walmart in the US announced this week that they are thinking
of asking employees to deliver customer orders on their way home as part of
their war with Amazon. One commentator described the idea as "crazy". Nobody has the magic bullet to retail success. Obviously the big
boys of retailing are really struggling to find answers just like us. Market
Traders are not alone in this revolution but we are a little more flexible.
Constantly informing ourselves and actively making smart changes will give at
least some of us a good chance of success.
And
one more final point (sorry). This is not just a Trader problem. QVM have to go
full steam ahead on promoting our wonderful market through all the means at
their disposal. They also need to ensure that smart renewal changes that will
prepare our market for the future get through the various government and
interest group blockades. But they are only part of the equation. Active,
hungry, entrepreneurial, and informed traders are critical to QVM's success. There is no room for "lack of trader interest".
By
Greg Smith