I shop for things online
and also using catalogs and visits to retail stores. My online experience
is part of my total shopping experience.
Total online retail sales are only around two percent of all
retail sales. That doesn't seem like much. But that's changing.
The National Retail Federation predicts that all retail sales
will grow by about a third over the next six years. Online retail
sales are expected to double, becoming more and more important.
But there's persuasive evidence that online retail is already
important.
I research online for purchases I make at local stores. And I
check out things in the store that I may buy online or using a
catalog. I'm not just an online shopper.
The more ways I shop with you the more I'm likely to be worth.
Forrester Research recently found that customers who shop all
three available channels (in-store, catalog, and retail) spend
up to four times more than folks who shop any one of them.
To put some specific numbers on that, consider a study done by
the J. C. Williams Group. They found that if folks shopped only
one way with Penney's, they spent $150 a year on the Net, $195
in the stores, and $201 from the catalog. But, Penney's customers
who shopped in all three ways spent $887 a year.
If you want to keep me as a customer, you need to pay attention
to every way that I shop. Some years ago, Jan Carlzon wrote a
great book called "Moments
of Truth." Today moments of truth happen on the Web and on
the phone, on the catalog page and the selling floor.
Online, I want a site that loads fast and has lots of information
about your products. I want to be able to find things easily.
I want to be able to compare things.
Make sure your print catalog has more than pretty pictures and
stirring sales copy. Help me learn about your products. Give me
suggestions that may help me buy packages of goods, like outfits
if I'm shopping for clothing.
I use the phone to order and to ask questions. Make it easy.
Make sure you have call-takers who know your merchandise. If you
must outsource this, don't make me deal with a fellow who's supposedly
named "Brent" but has an unintelligible Indian accent that would
make Gunga Din look puzzled.
I want to be able to find things in your store. Check out the
signage at Target if you need ideas about improving this. Don't
waste your money on chirpy greeters until you've got people on
your sales floor who want to help me and know something about
what you sell.
Once you've paid attention to the individual pieces, make a stab
at putting them together. Put your Web address on your cash register
receipts. Put a store locator on your Web site. Have a place in
the catalog that helps me find a store and your site.
The human beings I deal with on the phone and in person need
to know about the catalog and the Web site. They should be able
to help me find my way around either one.
Re-arrange your corporate practice so I can pick up and return
goods at your store. How I placed the order shouldn't matter.
Remember that no matter how good your organization or how advanced
your technology, your people will make or break you.
Just a week or so ago I wanted to buy an item for my office.
My research told me that my best option was to deal with a retailer
across town. Their Web site said they had what I wanted in stock.
Rather than drive cross-town to find out for sure if the item
was there, I called. The woman who answered the phone blitzed
through her greeting, listened to my question, mumbled, "I'll
connect you" and sent me to phone limbo. No one answered the phone
on that try or the next three.
So I gave up and called another store, farther away. I got put
through to a salesperson who knew what he was talking about and
set aside the product I wanted so I could pick it up later.
I paid more at that store than I would have at my first choice.
They didn't have store inventory connected to their Web site.
And it was farther away. But guess where I'll go next time I need
a product like this?
Top of page
If you shop
online as well as other places there are some sites you can use
to make your experience better by comparing prices.
If you're a retailer and you want to get inspired, try these.
"Moments
of Truth" by Jan Carlzon is the best book I know about making
the most of those individual moments, when you come in contact
with your customer.
"Why
We Buy: The Science Of Shopping" by Paco Underhill is the
best book I know about seeming simple things that can make a big
difference to your retail profitability. For my money, this is
far better than his more recent book and far more focused.
5 October 2004
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