Fall 2017 Hardlines Strategies

CONSUMER TRENDS

Still others make buying online so easy that it only takes a few clicks of a button to make your purchase—no credit card numbers or passwords needed (well, once they’re saved after your first purchase). …And What You Can Do Most experts agree brick-and-mortar retail isn’t going to go anywhere any time soon. However, it’s still a good idea for these retailers to look to their online counterparts for ideas of how Have a suggestion box set up at your store, or ask them to post any ideas on your store’s Facebook page.

they can continue to improve the overall shopping experiences for all of their customers. You may not have a Twitter account, and you may not need to speak multiple languages to communicate with all of your customers. But you can still learn some lessons from these online retailers that may work in your brick-and-mortar stores. Like Starbucks, you can solicit customer opinions. You may not have a specific social media account to do so, but try asking your customers for their thoughts about any aspect of your business where you’re looking for additional feedback. Have a suggestion box set up at your store, or ask them to post any ideas on your store’s Facebook page. And, like Netflix, keep the conversation light yet professional. Chances are that you know a good

number of your customers by name already, which is great. Work to get to know the ones you don’t know yet; they’ll appreciate that even more personalized service they’ll be offered when you greet them by name as they walk in the door. Ask them what they’re looking for and how you can help. While your ultimate goal is to answer their questions and provide good service, doing so with a light, friendly tone (which is especially helpful when you’re explaining something that might get a little technical, such as when talking plumbing or lighting repairs) can offer

“that something extra” customers appreciate when shopping at their favorite stores.

In the next issue of Strategies , we’ll take a closer look at what brick-and-mortar retailers can do to compete with online retailing. Stay tuned to learn more!

38 Fall 2017 • Hardlines Strategies