We found a great article written by John Winning.
It was featured on the Smart Company website and we wanted to share it with
you. As we look ahead to a new financial year, it's
important to shed some light on the retail myths that have been thrown about
for the last 12 months and bring to the surface some retailing realities.
Myth 1 –
Shopfront retail is dying
Shopfront retail is not dying; you just have to be
innovative and willing to change your methods to catch the eye of shoppers that
have an abundance of choice. We recently launched Australia's premier appliance
showroom, which includes world first displays. The Winning Appliances Flagship Redfern Showroom
offers a unique lifestyle experience for appliance shopping and we opened this
showroom following our biggest year on record, with over 20% year-on-year
growth.
Myth 2 –
People won't buy "that" online/in a store
These sorts of stereotypes no longer apply. People,
and even my own father at the time, told me nobody would buy appliances online.
Innovation leads to growth.
Myth 3 –
Product is more important than delivery
The delivery of a product is just as important as
the product that you sell. The timing, communication and professionalism of
your delivery team – such as removing any packaging – is crucial to repeat
business.
Myth 4 – Pick
offline or online and stick to it
It's a new ball game. You can't distinguish between
offline and online retail anymore; it's just retail.
Myth 5 – The
lowest price will get you the sale
Australian shoppers are extremely savvy, so they
won't just settle for a low price offer. An end-to-end customer experience that
includes convenience and prompt delivery will be required to impress customers.
Myth 6 – Play
the game with your competitors
Stick to your own business plan and don't be
influenced by your competitors. It doesn't pay to have the same offering;
consumers are always looking for a unique experience.
Myth 7 – You
need mass advertising to get noticed
You don't need to blanket advertise to get noticed,
in fact this can infuriate potential customers. Use your money wisely to invest
in advertising campaigns that ensure shoppers not only remember your name, but
also the reason why they should shop with you.
Myth 8 – You
need to be loudest to be heard
You don't need to have the loudest voice within
your industry to be noticed; you just need to have the most sensible things to
say.
Myth 9 – The
primary purpose of customer support is to assist people purchasing a product
It's always easier to buy something than return it.
Your customer support team should also be solutions focused; a business is
defined by how they handle something when it goes wrong.
Myth 10 – Get
it right for the next customer you serve
You need to impress EVERY customer that walks into
your store or lands on your website. Fix issues and solve problems immediately;
word travels fast, so you can't afford to lose a customer.
To find out more about Smart Company, please visit
their website www.smartcompany.com.au
