RETAIL INSIGHTS

What makes it memorable?

Tue, 25 May 2010 06:05:44 -0700

I love this coffee. It’s from a great place called Caffe Luxe her in Los Angeles. It’s not only beautiful, but the coffee is amazing! And the fact that I get to sit out at a little cafe table and take in the streetscape makes it all the better.

And that’s what makes the coffee great. It’s the sum of the parts that makes a greater whole. And so it goes with your store. It not only has to offer great product, but it has to have amazing customer service and a great store experience as well. One without the other is like having peanut butter without the jelly. It just doesn’t work.

To maximize your entire experience (and keep customers coming back), focus on perfecting each part. Do that and soon enough your customers will be talking about how amazing your concept is to all their friends.

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Apple iPod Kiosk - A Cool Shrinking Concept

Mon, 10 May 2010 10:40:06 -0700

It seems that the world of Apple keeps shrinking, and we’re not just talking about their electronics and computers.

Trendhunter.com recently featured an Apple iPod concept space that actually is a kiosk and much smaller than the Apple stores we’re accustomed to.

The benefit? Smaller spaces mean more opportunities, and less overhead. Another brilliant strategy for Apple to increase its footprint and brand awareness without a big cash outlay.

And so begins the trend, smaller spaces created by bigger brands to extend their reach. We’ve seen it in everything from Sephora stores in J.C. Penney to Comme des Garcons which is putting mini-me popups in select retailers for a limited time.

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Photo courtesy flickr user Manic

We’re Here To Sell - That’s All That Matters

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 06:38:21 -0700

If you’re not selling, you may just go out of business.

Nothing else matters. That gorgeous display. Those amazing products. That great music. Sure, all of those can help push a customer toward a purchase. But none of those matter if your employees don’t engage your customers to sell to them.

I know what you’re thinking. “That’s not who we are, our customers don’t want to be pushed, I didn’t hire salespeople.”

But there is a way to sell to a customer that doesn’t make them feel like they’re buying a used car.

THE STORETOUCH TAKEAWAY
Selling is a fundamental part of retail today.

With fewer consumers walking in the day, it’s all about capitalizing on your existing customers. Nearly every retailer I work with has an opportunity to increase their average transaction. So how do you get there?

1. Hire salespeople, not clerks. Employees who works at retailers who have complicated products tend to sell. That’s because they gain product knowledge in order to inform their customers, and that means that they’re actually selling. Electronics and beauty are two categories where employees tend to sell versus clerk. Hire people who work for these types of retailers (or other similar retailers).

1. Train employees to sell. You don’t have to hire an expert to train your staff. Just think about all the opportunities that exist in your store. You can introduce customers to a different product category. You can sell them complimentary products. You can tell them about an event or a promotion, or a new product line you just brought in. You can tell them about your favorite product, your number one seller, or the product you carry that Lady GaGa uses. Believe it or not, these are all ways of selling to your customers (without really selling).

How are you selling instead of just clerking?

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