Read how retail is more positive than negative

I was looking for a little inspiration for today's blog and I decided to google "retail problems" to see if there was anything there to prompt me. I kind of wish I hadnt. There are hundreds of links such as this one-

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/the-most-soul-crushing-things-about-working-retail#.xtRbJeez1L

And they are all about the bad things about working in retail, the bad things about customers and how bad things are. I'd like to think that my blog over the years gives the opposite view to this. I've looked at how retail can be looked at and found to be interesting for those working in it. The fascination of retail for me can be looked at in so many different ways but I'll have a look at some here-

Every day is different

There are do many industries that I've heard this said about but nowhere is it as true as I'm retail. Every single day brings in a new challenge, a new question, a new customer or a new idea. The dynamic nature of retail is what makes it engaging and keeps people interested and coming back for more. New ideas from those in charge make change management a massive part of retail and will ensure that it continues to be a dynamic work environment.

Interaction with people

Linked to the above, it's the constant flow of new customers that go some way to making each day different. This is amplified if you are a niche or speciality retailer as you will have to spend more time with each new customer as you explain your offering to them. And for me, this is where it can get really interesting. The opportunity to spend quality time with customers (new or old) transforms the day. It's what turns the mundane into the extraordinary as you get to build what you hope and expect to be long-term relationship with your customers.

The team aspect

It's being part of a team that are (usually) all pulling in the same direction that is another aspect of retail that I really enjoy. I know that it's not the only industry in which you work as part of a team but the team bond always feels stronger in retail than anywhere else I've worked. The fact that we're all in it together and the goals are shared means that we share a bond and every action that one of us takes affects all the others. This can have negative consequences but more often than not, means that everyone does what is in the best interests of the customers and their colleagues. 

Looking back at 100 blog posts - part 1 - The High Street

As I look back at the blog, and the 100 posts that have come before, I will take the next five blog entries to look at the themes that have emerged during my time writing this.

One of the main motivations for writing this blog was the decline in the UK High Street, and what could be done about it. Although the blog hasn't focused on that completely, I have returned to that subject time and time again. I think that some of my blogs have been about comparisons, some have been moans and some have been looking at ways of stimulating the High Street again - not to it's former glory, but to a modern-day vibrant place to shop, eat, park and spend leisure time.

I looked in an early blog about how to make the most of the customers you have through your door when on the High Street. The key to your customers that are against the clock is speed of service. On the High Street, as a pose to those shoppers at out of town retailers, there is the pressure of time. This typically comes from parking charges and the fact that a lot of your customers will be on their lunch break. The blog below looks at preparing for this and being ready.

http://mytimeinretail.blogspot.com/2014/02/speed-of-service-is-key-for-most-high.html

I have tried to tread a fine line on this blog between protecting the High Street, but not at all costs. I think that retail has to adapt to it's surroundings and move with the times. Modern retailing has embraced the online offering, often matching it with the ability to Click and Collect. In this blog, I looked at the modern High Street embracing the advantages technology could offer.

http://mytimeinretail.blogspot.com/2015/01/you-can-have-online-offering-and-not.html

And I wondered in the blog below if there is a major retailer that would take up the plight of the High Street and become a true champion. I think that a big retailer should look after the smaller independent retailers around it. A vibrant High Street or town centre is a benefit for all who live near, shop there and have an outlet there.

http://mytimeinretail.blogspot.com/2014/05/is-it-time-for-major-retailer-to.html

After a visit to Italy, I briefly looked at the differences between the two shopping cultures and the two shopping areas created and used by us and the Italians-

http://mytimeinretail.blogspot.com/2014/02/comparisons-of-uk-high-street-to-that.html

NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE BOUGHT ON THE HIGH STREET

A return from holiday leaves me needing a catch-up

I've now returned from three weeks holiday. A three week break brings lots of thinking time but the return to reality and activity is tougher than I remember.

I've kept physically active whilst away, with a gym and swimming pool on the complex I've been staying on. But a lot of time on the road, by the pool, in the gym and on the beach gives you plenty of time to think about what you are doing and where you want to start going next with everything you do.

I think that it is good (and it was good) to have a period of reflection and contemplation. It gives you a chance to determine whether you think that you're on the right track and to plot the way forward without the everyday distractions of work life. It also enables a little "blue sky thinking" as there exposure to a different routine and a different culture can have you thinking about things in different ways. I have looked at the direction I'm heading in and I broadly think that it's where I want to be going.

It's now thinking about heading out of the break and back into my life that's occupying my mind. I landed and got home in Sunday evening and it was back to work at 7.30am on Monday, so there was no real transition to be had. It was a case of holiday mode as is went to bed and work mode when I got up the next morning. It was just the way it had to be with three weeks off - there was no spare time to be had! So it was straight back into it, which can sometimes be the best way to get on, although I don't really feel like that the the moment! I can just about see the wood from the trees at work now, after a few days of catching up. I just wish I could say the same about everything else I do.

It's getting back into the swing of things for everyone concerned at the moment. The Summer customer flow is very different to the flow during the rest of the year, especially in a university city, such as the City of Durham that I work in regularly. So it's been a time where large parts of the city have been on holiday and where large parts if the city are starting to get back into a routine for Back To School promotions, the kids actually returning to school and the university students returning to the city.

I've been doing some work with a pharmacy in the city recently and all their work is geared to the students returning and the ailments beginning, especially when the weather turns cold. The start of term can't come quickly enough for them and their largest customer base starts getting ill not long after returning.

It's interesting to note where your largest customer groups are and how the ebb and flow to be able to plan out your staffing, stock and things such as opening hours. I've mentioned in my blog many times about organisation, and this is adding another level to your understanding of what goes on.

NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE FOUND ON THE HIGH STREET

E-Receipts are here!

And what a great way to collect email addresses and communicate with your customers. I've just shopped in Cotswold Outdoors, a first for me, and when I was asked if I wanted to sign up for their loyalty card, one of the benefits stated was that I would receive e-receipts. Now I've never seen it as a benefit before, but having access to an account that can provide proof of purchase for any items you buy from that store is a great selling point to a customer to take away the hassle of storing and accessing receipts.

From the point of view of the retailer, you immediately gather your customers email address, which I know some customers can be reluctant to give. It allows you to feed them more information than just the e-receipt, such as -

* Here's how much you've saved with us this month/year by using your loyalty card

* Thanks for shopping with us today, by way of thanks, here's a voucher for 10% off your next visit. To make it easier we've already pre-loaded this discount in to your card

* Thanks for stopping by today, we wanted to tell you that our sale starts next week with up to 50% off sale items

It's the last one that got me thinking. Boots used to have machines in store where customers put in their loyalty card and browsed for any relevant vouchers. What if you had something similar, where it triggered an email if you went into store but didn't buy. Something like-

We noticed you came into store tad but didn't buy anything. Just to remind you that if you can't find an item in store, you can order it online and have it delivered to store or your home the next day.

Have you downloaded our app? It makes shopping on the go easy, and the app stores all your e-receipts.

Did you buy something in store today? Forgot to produce your loyalty card? Don't worry, come back in within 7 days with your card and the receipt and we'll add the points in for you.

I think that little differences will make some retailers more successful than others. If you can use these little tools to drive customers to your door then you will win.



Not everything can be bought on the High Street

Be on the shop floor and connect with your team

What happens when your team (good and bad) are allowed to run things for themselves?

I ask this question because it's something I've experienced recently and the medium to long term consequences can be quite devastating.

It's a large team that I've done some work with and got quite close to. It can probably be broadly split into two factions - those that work really hard and have the wellbeing of the store and customers at heart, and those they don't. I think anyone that has worked in a large store has had a similar experience. In this case it's the long-standing team members that take care of everything and this half of the team carry out approximately 90% of the work. I'm some instances it's because they just get on with it, in others it's because the newer colleagues have t been trained. Many of the symptoms of this divide are amplified due to the fact the management team spend so much time in their offices and have no presence on the shop floor. The shop floor is where a management team should spend the majority if their time, and is where standards are set and policed. Without this management presence, this particular retailer has suffered in areas.

The established members of the team that were happy in the short term to pick up the pieces have started to become resentful of their extra duties and the lack of support from management and colleagues. It's created a lack of respect for the management team and two separate teams in the same store.

Now for all you owners and managers out there, a simple solution has probably already occurred to you. It's so often missed by retailers. Far too many managers spend far too much time away from their teams and their customers. If you don't want to spend this time out there then retail management or ownership may not be for you.

Communication and support of your team is of paramount importance and without it you won't succeed. Knowing exactly what is going on with your team, particularly having seen it with your own eyes gives you the opportunity to set the agenda, train effectively, gather customer feedback and get the support of your team. All of these factors not only make your team a success, it makes the job 100 times more interesting. Of you're not doing it already then give it a try.


Not everything can be bought on the High Street-

They say retail is detail - I often disagree

In my many years working in retail I've often heard the mantra retail is detail. Now in small local retailers, particularly when it's not a fast moving product or products, then this CAN be true - details can make a difference. In large retailers, discount retailers, supermarkets, corner shops, convenience stores, newspaper shops and the majority of clothing retailers then retail is not detail. In these case, retail is about being 90% at most-

90% of your customers served quickly

90% of your products available

90% of your customers asked if they have your loyalty card

90% staff attendance

And the list could go on.

So not very detailed then.

Don't be downhearted, though, because this 90% isn't an horrific figure. On one hand it's probably as much as your competition is managing. On the other hand it still gives room for improvement.

Now to get up towards 100% will take investment. Better wages to get better staff attendance, more staff to keep queues down, more staff and more stock holding to keep availability up, etc.

So the next step would be to ask the question -"what type of retailer do I want to be?"

One that keeps 90% of customers happy? Or do I want to spend a little more?

If you're a small, local, self-managed retailer then is suggest aiming for the 100%. It's being different that will get you noticed. It's really hard to try to compete on price, especially against national or multinational organisations that are bound to have much deeper pockets than you. Providing better service, a better experience at a higher price point is letting your customers know that you are different, you are better.

If you're a large multi-site retailer and you can't be at every site, every day, all day then 90% isn't a bad starting point. You can push your team on from there, starting with the store managers. Motivate them and watch this motivation filter down to the customer-facing team members.

Look after your team as well as your customers this week

It's Christmas week and my short message today is to remember your team as well as your customers. It's all to easy to just focus in the task in hand, especially if you're busy with those last sales before Christmas. But remember that as busy as you are in your professional and personal life, your team will be just as busy. Leaving a few minutes early to catch the kids school nativity play or an extra fee minutes on a lunch hour to get groceries for Christmas dinner should be something that's given appreciation for.

Also think about the environment you work in. A non-uniform day or a themed dress day, maybe for charity will lift the spirits and do some good. Laying on snacks, particularly festive snacks, will also keep the team's spirit high going into those last few days before Christmas.

I've written before in this blog that team spirit makes a big difference to your customers, and eventually your bottom line. People do business with people, not special offers or price promotions. Ensuring that your people are fully motivated and feeling valued will ensure that your customers want to do business with them.

I was watching a version of A Christmas Carol yesterday and a line jumped out at me that I'd never noticed before. Ebenezer Scrooge said  to the ghost of Christmas yet to come "I'll try to keep Christmas all year round." I thought that this sentiment rang true for this particular blog. All of the above, keeping the team motivated, etc is something that you should try to keep all year round. It's important to have a well motivated team at all points if the year.

Help your customers through your process and they will be your advocates

If there's a quirky or different part of your company up others then In my eyes, you've got a choice. Either-

Ensure there are always staff to hand to explain

Or

Ensure there is sufficient clear signage to explain.

In talking about parts of your business where customers don't intuitively know what to do. The ticket machine that required you to put your card in and remove straight away to work, the self-service till or well, pretty much the self-service anything. It shod be enough that you can have one team member looking after 6 or 8 tills, don't take this team member away!

Ikea does this beautifully with a mi. of the above approaches, more signs than staff though. It uses explanation and a little humour to let customers know that they will be picking and assembling the furniture themselves and the fact that this helps to keep the cost down. In fact they've now taken this quirk into a virtue - it's part of their business, their ethos.

If you have a part of your business that needs a little explaining or guidance then don't be afraid to explain or guide - your customers will appreciate your help and give you honest feedback about the process at the point that it's happening - one of the buzzwords in retail at the moment is "in the moment feedback" and it doesn't get more in the moment than that.

What type of retailer do you want to be?

In terms of retail, there are many shapes and sizes, many categories, many markets and target customers.

Some attempt to specialise, others want to be all things to all people. Some want the multi-site outlets, whilst other are happy to have one store, or even no stores and just to operate online.

However, I believe that it is possible to split retailers into 2 categories- those that compete on price, and those that don't. This may seem absurd at first sight - of course all retailers have to establish a competitive price, don't they?

Well, what I'm saying is-

 Some retailers provide goods at the lowest possible price and use price as their marketing edge - Aldi, Poundland, Home Bargains, Tesco.

Some retailers provide a service or something else that goes above and beyond just a product for the lowest price, and subsequently can offer things at a higher price and still have a flow of customers - Boots, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer.

So back to the original question - what type of retailer do you want to be?

Price

I think that this is the tougher way to distinguish yourself. I think that there is always someone who can undercut you, or attempt to undercut you. There are some massive competitors out there that can run lost-leaders or price promotions to drive you put of business, should they want to.

Service

In my view, this is the way forward. If you can offer something to your customers that they can't get elsewhere, if they can't get it locally. I was once told that the definition of competitive advantage is -

"Doing something that your competition can't or won't do."

Now, to me, this isn't price - it's service. Build A Bear and the teddies that your kids have made themselves, Marks & Spencer and their superior quality food and service, or your local craft store that  offers lessons for children.

As a successful retailer, or a potential succesful retailer, you need to find whatever this is for you and your business. We used to call it a USP, it's the reason your customers come back to  you.

If you don't already know what this is, then work with your team, your customers and establish exactly what it is. Then accentuate it, run with it, use it on your marketing, talk about it ceaselessly. It's your future.

Who's next? Why we can alienate our customers before they've even reached us

I hate the phrase "who's next?" in retail. I hate it with a passion. It strikes me as out of control, rude, unfriendly and derivative.

So why do we use it in most retailers when our customers reach the point of sale?

There are so many better things to say-

"Can I help?"

"Hello"

"How can I help?"

Are all better phrases that could be used over the "who's next?" comment. It runs deep, and customers really don't like it. It is at the core of where you and your customers stand with each other. Every time I hear "who's next?" I think "well, the person at the front if the queue - that's who's next."

It shows a lack of control, as the till operator should know exactly who is next. And they always do know who is next.

It isn't very polite, as a smile, eye contact and the phrase "can I help?" say far more positive things about our relationship with our customers and how we wish to treat them.

If this happens where you work, please talk to your team and eradicate it.

Have the High Street banks changed since the meltdown?

Lord Adair Turner tells policymakers to be radical in their thinking, as he analyses the current financial climate and the danger of returning to the dark days of the economic meltdown. Although a little short on detail, his speech hits the right notes in terms of discussing what exactly has happened and where we have ended up with regards the financial crisis that hit at the end of the last decade.  I would ask 2 main questions with regards this-

1. Has anything actually changed?
2. Did anything actually need to change?

I say the answers are -

1. Not really
2. Definitely

So, where do we go from here?

I think that the banking system has come full circle from fear, through self-pity and survival mode to business as usual.  The wider economy doesn't need business as usual, as small business and consumers struggle to get finance for house purchases and find they are further disenfranchised by a system that they didn't help to create, didn't ask for and now feel disengaged from.  This has gone along with repossessions, liquidations and the rapid growth of the payday loan sector.

How can this happen after the major shocks of 2008 and the fact that governments own large stakes in banks?

We are on a course for a similar shockwave of financial crashes if there isn't a change in the structure of the banks, the way they interact with customers and an acknowledgement of the errors of the past.  A whole industry has popped up to make the most out of banks errors - mortgage exit fees, bank charges, PPI miss-selling, etc and this is before the exposure of self-certification mortgages, interest-only mortgages, fasttracking of mortgage clients and others.  Banks have been subsidising high spending on cars, holidays and home improvements by the £10+ billion payouts for PPI misselling alone.

There needs to be a line in the sand drawn by the banks to gain public trust again - or maybe this has gone on too long and can never be repaired.  The public appetitie for payday loans seems to never be satisfied, so why not a Wonga Bank on the High Street?  A series of new entrants to the market that aren't tainted by the scandals of the past may be the only way forward.  Metro Bank is making progress in London, while Virgin Money seems to have escaped the association with Northern Rock.  Nationwide came out of the scandals with an enhanced reputation, as did First Direct.  M&S and Tesco are starting to offer a serious proposition in terms of everyday banking.

Is this the way forward?

The new smartphone from Amazon - fire phone

A message to TK Maxx

Hello TK Maxx, I've spent time in one of your stores today and I have a few comments. I feel that generally the stores are good - light, easy to browse, well laid out and easy to lose track of time in. All ingredients for successful customer interaction and factors that will induce good sales.

The staff are friendly and approachable, but not at all intrusive - a good mix.

The queuing system and till area are well laid out as well, but queues can form really quickly in fashion retail, so you definitely need more staff either in or around the till areas.

One area I can see that will make an immediate improvement in your availability and sales is the processing of stock around the women's changing room area. I have noticed this in a lot of women's fashion retailers but it affects you far more than a lot of your competitors.  Your USP is the "finds" that your customers make - branded goods arriving daily at a knockdown price.  When so many of your finds are left next to the changing rooms (40+ items today on a quiet morning) then they aren't on the shop floor waiting for your customers to find them.

I would suggest a run every 15 minutes for someone to return all the items to their shop floor location.  This will increase availability and customer satisfaction.  The items that are tried in are the more popular items that others would desire.

Just a short note today, prompted by a visit.

Thanks for listening.

Audiobooks from Audible at Amazon

Ensure your team know exactly what you expect from them

As the title says, I urge you to let your team know exactly your expectations if them day-in, day-out. As a leader you should have a clear plan of your goals and ambitions for the store you are running and ALL of your team should know 1- what these are, and 2- how you will achieve them.

This should be brought about by taking several steps-

• Decide what exactly it is that you want to achieve
• Work out basic steps to get there
• Plan an overview meeting with your team at the outset to communicate the above
• Have regular progress discussions to keep your team informed and keep their actions on-track
• Have daily discussions with team members regarding their input into the longer term goals

Leadership style

For the good managers, this may seem quite basic, but it doesn't happen in a lot of retail environments. Your ability to clearly communicate what you want your team to do and how you want them to do it is the very basis of your motivating management style.  A stranger should be able to walk into your store and ask every one of your team what your expectations are and get the same answer.  Now ask yourself - is this true if you and your team?  If not, then please take a loom at the steps outlined above and work through them in order.  It will make you think about your business, your goals and your leadership style.  The right results will only come if everyone is working together to achieve them.

Adapting this style

Once you have this as an ongoing part of your team's day, as in working towards these goals, then the next step or adaptation is to get your team to have a greater input into the goals.  They can challenge you and each other and this, in turn, empowers them to inspire each other.  Taking on these challenges and taking risks within a supportive framework make the job more interesting and make the team more likely to grow together and stay together. The working relationship between your team is vital to the vibrancy if your offering to customers.  Anything you can do to nourish that is taking a massive stride forward.

Tesco sales drop is about more than price

I'm just reading about Tesco's figures and the fact that their sales dropped by 3.1% over the last quarter - the biggest drop since records began in 1984.

My wife and I were in Tesco yesterday and the problems became more obvious to me as we sat in the café overlooking the store.

The problem is that they get nothing right

Now this isn't an anti-Tesco rant. It's true. Look at the facts-

• They don't do quality as well as Waitrose
• They don't advertise as well as M&S
• They don't do cheap as well as Aldi
• They don't do mobiles as well as Carphone Warehouse
• They don't do cafés as well as Costa
• They don't do toys as well as Smyths
• They don't do tech as well as, well anyone really

This adds up to a poor showing overall. The growth of Tesco has come from the "all under one roof" philosophy but this has come at a price to consumers. The reality of the philosophy is "all in one place, but only 60% as good as if you bought it elsewhere."  The idea of training staff up to be as good as their competitors in each field wpuld take a huge investment. The model of the department store, with market leaders delivering each sector, stands up better than Tesco's current plan.

It is my belief that consumers in the UK tolerate standards that would be unacceptable elsewhere in the World.  For example, I conduct mystery shopping programmes for some major restaurant chains and the question regarding food quality is "was the food rancid or spoiled in flavour?"  Now is this a standard we find acceptable?  In most European countries poor restaurants close because people won't pay good money for something below par.

It's the same with Tesco - customers are starting to find them out. Why pay higher prices for less-informed service on technology? Why buy their Finest range when, for a comparable price, you can buy M&S?

There is a bottom ground for discounters and there are already a few in the market. Why are Morrisons rushing for the lowest price ground? Why are analysts urging Tesco to join them?

A company that ploughed some of their vast profits back into a living wage for their staff, more staff available for customers and a higher standard of service would win every time.

Not everything can be bought on the High Street - MP3 version of The Hunting Party by Linkin Park on pre-order

Chart your promotions and marketing to see how profitable they are

The latest CBI survey shows retail sales growing for the 6th month in a row, but figures weren't as bullish as perhaps expected.

38% of respondents said sales were higher than a year ago

22% of respondents said sales were lower than a year ago

This equates to a balance of 16% - well below the anticipated figure of a 43% balance.  Retailers said they expect business to improve next month with the World Cup and (hopefully) Summer weather.  The CBI said that despite the slowdown, the fact that growth again, for the 6th consecutive month, was encouraging.

What did you experience last month?

What factors influenced this?

My main learning from this is to closely monitor your promotions and see how these impact your sales and profitability.  A simple spreadsheet will do the trick, where you can plot sales and profits against certain promotions with reference to certain times of the year, proximity to payday weekend, weather conditions.  I would say a day-by-day spreadsheet with a space at the end to note external factors will give you all the reference data you need to be able to lamb your future promotions, sales and other marketing activity.  Don't think that your competitors won't have all this information to hand to help their business - it's the norm, even for small stores.

Ensure you act and react like a professional business - the technology is there to assist you in making these decisions and your operation will run better for having the correct information at your fingertips.

Not everything can be bought on the High Street - MP3 version of Stay Gold

How to increase town centre High Street footfall

Figures released today have shown that retail footfall dropped by 0.1% in April.

However footfall in out of town locations rose by 4% - the 4th month in a row that there had been an increase.

This is more evidence that the government 's town centre first policy is not working.

So what next.  I've looked at certain points in prior blogs relating to how this can be tackled.  Changes to the business rates in vacant shops and incentives from government to help local councils provide free parking are two ways that I think will have a massive impact.

The march of Click & Collect should also see some improvements in town centre footfall and sales figures.

What about YOU as a retailer - what are you doing to keep your High Street vibrant?

Do you have a town centre retail committee?

If so, are you on it?

Are you organising events and incentives to promote your town?

Do you cross-refer to other local retailers?

I think a prime example of the last point is  linked to weddings. A florist should always have a link to a bridal gown shop, a limo hire company, a local wedding cake company - and vice versa.

Local communities of like-minded retailers are stronger together.  Hosting town centre events for Easter, Christmas, Mothers Day, etc will make the whole town sing, encourage people to visit many stores and increase both footfall and sales.

Do this in addition to the moves I have previously outlined and there's a profit to be made!

Poundland's Steve Smith revisits his roots

I worked for Poundland in the days of Steve Smith and his enthusiasm was inspirational.  He had a passion for his business and was always looking for new ways to push things forward.  Without him at the helm, how has Poundland remained so successful for so long?

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27371167

It is far more than just price.  Low prices without structure, innovation and an innate sense of what your customer wants just wouldn't have worked for that long.

Poundland have had to move with the times and realise that what they were selling for £1 over 20 years ago will have been eroded by inflation and may have gone out of fashion.  In my days there we sold loads if "large plastics" which consisted of washing baskets, buckets an mops but so many if then broke in transit that their export was stopped.

They have done deals with major suppliers to make their products at a size to match the price point rather than the price fitting the product.  This level of innovation has helped the company stay ahead of the competition and has forced suppliers to recognise Poundland as a serious player in the retail world.

I'm sure that there's another 20 years plus in Poundland and that whatever Steve Smith turns his hand to will be driven forward by his energy.

Football Fever at Amazon - get ready for the World Cup!

How to educate your customers

I often wonder how run of the mill, High Street retailers can educate their customers in their ways.  By this I mean how to interact with the company and what "buy in" the company needs from their customers to make a successful relationship/partnership.

Some newer entrants to the market are able to have this relationship/partnership and have complete customer but in, as the retailer and customer have grown together.  For me, a prime example is Ikea.  You select your own products, you get them home yourself, you clear your own tables in the cafe - in return they keep the prices to a minimum.

Another such example is Build A Bear - you pay a bit more for the bear, but you have the experience of choosing the design if your bear and being a large part of the production of the best.  It's not just a purchase - it's an experience.

How do you relate the things you need your customers to know?

In the examples above, Ikea has store notices and both retailers have a great "word of mouth" network of avid fans.  Social media has increased this many times over.

Social media is one way to to this, but you need to educate some valued, regular customers in the first place for word to spread.  So, the best way to initiate this is to get your team to have great conversations with your customers.  The effects of this may not happen overnight, but consistently great interactions with your customers will consistently lead to these values customers being your best advocates.

One message I'd like to see all retailers get over to their customers is that their mistreatment of stock, fixtures and fittings will always come back to them as higher prices.  A packaging that a customer splits and renders unsaleable will mean an extra cost to them and all other customers in future years.

Morrisons slashes prices, but fails to find its niche

Morrisons had an awful year, last year and they've decided to fight the discounter with discounts.  Unless they can undercut retailers like Aldi and Lidl that spend far less on their shop fits and staffing their stores, then they may struggle with this strategy.

It's the 2nd from last sentence that highlights a real need for expenditure-

"A lack of online and convenience store presence has also left the business exposed"

There's plenty of vacant High Street property out there for Morrisons to kill both birds with one stone.  Open convenience stores with online terminals for Click & Collect customers.  It will get them back on a par with the big boys, rather than trying to fend off the discounters snapping at their heels.

Not everything can be bought on the High Street - 100 Kindle books to read in a lifetime

How will Primark fare in the USA?

As Primark gets set to open their first store in America, it begs the question of how it became so successful over here in the UK.  The BBC article below looks at how they may fare.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27160390

I see Primark's success as down to two main factors - price and speed of getting fashion from the catwalk to the High Street.

If they can replicate these two areas in the USA then they will be some way towards satisfying American customers.

One area they may need to improve on their UK operations is customer service.  Surly security guards, head-down ass-up shelf fillers and till operators more interested in each other's night out than the customer in front of them won't wash in the most demanding consumer market in the World.  And an improvement in the US may rub off on their UK operation.