Retail
advice is full of stuff about creating a shopping experience. So what does that
mean and how do market traders get in on the act? The good news is that we can.
A men’s
clothing store in New York gives you a shopping experience and you don’t actually
walk out with any goods. Your shop assistant, sorry your “guide”, will discuss
a whole range of clothing alternatives with you and “guide” you through various
options including some personal style changes that you may not have thought of.
The “guides” intimate knowledge of current trends makes sure you stay up to
date with your clothing choices.
There is no
standing at the checkout at the completion of the process. The “guide” will
swipe your card on his mobile machine (a few of our traders do this with their
mobile phone card checkout facilities) and then offer you a cup of coffee or
glass of wine if you have time. Their intent is to make shopping easier for
customers, particularly those who “hate shopping”. Your purchases are delivered
later from a central warehouse so the customer is free to walk out having
completed their shopping, enjoyed some expert advice, and get back into the day
with delivery to happen in the background.
Other
retailers adopting the “shopping experience” mantra include Nike with their
mini basketball courts, Sephora with their “cast members” who sit with you at a
digital make-up machine while you try various make-up effects, and Apple with
their amazing stores and Genius Bars. Walmart are reportedly spending
$2.7billion on training programs designed to improve the experience that their
staff give to customers.
The really
good news is that all these programs are built around knowledgeable people who
can engage with customers. A market trader’s bread and butter is personal engagement,
and getting that right, while offering convenience in ancillary services like
payment and delivery, puts us on the same street as the big boys And we can do that without having to invest huge amounts in infrastructure although I bet all
you sports shoe traders are working out how to put a basketball ring on your
stall.
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