We’re never really not shopping, we’re just doing it differently.
Take the mid-season sales for example, which have been in full swing around the country.
Consumer outcomes are maximised during retail events like the seasonal sales, which play an integral role in retailers’ overall marketing strategies.
Usually, consumers will shop around their lifestyles, but when it comes to these big retail events, they do tend to schedule in time to make in in-store – fuelled by big, red tickets in plentiful supply, surprise markdowns and the prospect of finding a few hidden gems in the mayhem.
This year more than ever before, bargain-hunters are spending far greater time researching ahead of time which stores are offering the best deals – tapping into top offers on products they often already want, or stalking the stores they already have a rapport with – taking advantage of reviews, influencers and testimonials before planning their instore adventures.
Or, they’re not setting foot instore at all – there’s just no such thing as clicks Vs bricks anymore, as it’s now a fully integrated experience.
The mid-season sales are the epitome of experiential retail, with stores including Myer reinventing their offerings to include a more comprehensive omni-channel approach, to attract and captivate consumers with even more convenience, choice, and value.
The department store has this year partnered with YouTube for the first time to launch a ‘six-second sale’, using the tagline, “be quick to click, before they disappear”, in addition to their more mainstream online offerings.
It’s an entirely new marketing tool for Myer, that’s been integrated into its overall, omni-channel strategy to hopefully create a better experience for consumers all round. I know I’ll be taking a keen interest in how effective this particularly tool turns out to be!
A recent study of the shopping behaviours of 46,000 US shoppers over a period of 14 months, published in the Harvard Business Review in January, suggests the omni-channel strategy (providing a seamless experience in bricks-and-mortar stores and through a variety of digital channels, which creates a competitive edge over online-only retailers by leveraging their store assets) is bang on the money.
Its survey found that only seven per cent of shoppers were online-only, 20 per cent were in-store only, and the remaining 73 per cent used multiple channels throughout their shopping journeys. And, that the more channels they used, the more valuable they were to the retailer, with a higher overall spend.
This is just one study among a great deal of research that’s backing up the omni-channel approach – customers are researching, interacting and sharing information like never before, so it’s become critical for most retailers to have a comprehensive, simple and consumer-friendly digital footprint. Not just at sale time, but year-round.
It’s timely to remember that an omnichannel strategy only truly works if your frontline team deliver an exceptional offline experience as well. If you would like any assistance with building your team’s confidence and updating their customer service skills, the NRA Training Team are here to help.
Have a great week.
Dominique Lamb
CEO