How Retailers Communicate to Their Target Market.
In this article, I am going to be comparing the ways in which two retailers communicate with their target audience. I have chosen to compare Burberry – a luxury brand – and BooHoo – a competitive etailer – as they contact their current and potential consumers in different ways.
Burberry is a multiple retailer that has a public limited with a share capital ownership. The company is large with a turnover of £2,514,700,000. The retailer is both online and in-store selling goods with a premium pricing policy. Merchandise includes womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, accessories, gifts and beauty. Their stores are located in-towns with a large footfall of upper-class citizens or in out of town retail parks. Burberry also features as a concession in Selfridges and Harrods. Burberry contact their consumers through emails, phone and face-to-face store interactions.
BooHoo is an Etailer that has a private limited with a share capital ownership. The company is large with a turnover of £195,345,000. BooHoo’s merchandise includes, womenswear, menswear, footwear and accessories selling at a competitive price. They also recently launched a childrenswear collection widening their target audience. The brand can only be found online therefore making their communication with their customers’ internet based.
Both retailers communicate through emails. Emails allow the retailer to personally contact the customer and recommend other products they sell which are similar to previous merchandise you have purchased. BooHoo use emails more due to the fact that they are located only on the internet whereas Burberry also have physical stores. The retailers also will send their subscribers exclusive offers or promotions that they could use both online and in stores. This is all in hope for sales to rise because if the costumer feels as if they have personally been sent an offer they are more likely to shop it and spend money within the brand.
Social media is a big part of advertising today in retail. BooHoo and Burberry have accounts on various platforms such as, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. Even though they both have accounts on the same sites they use them in different ways. BooHoo post not only products they are selling, but also quotes, inspiration, makeup and current trend. Their theme varies with different uses of colours used in different seasons or upon current design trends. Burberry’s accounts are more formal, in which they all follow the same theme of white borders around their images or videos. They also post pictures of celebrities spotted in their garments at events.
Both BooHoo and Burberry can be contacted through phone. BooHoo uses their phone for customer service purposes, for example, to track deliveries or to return items, whereas Burberry is used for not only customer services but also stock availability in-store.
Burberry however has face – to – face communication available. If a customer goes into store they are able to be guided by a sales advisor or even a personal shopper to make more of their shopping experience. Their target market by deter shopping online as they prefer the company and advice when shopping. The instore expeience also allows customers to try items before they buy which somewhat attracts more of a footfall as they want to know not only if it fits but looks good.
COMMUNICATION FOR FASHION RETAIL
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HOW DIFFERENT RETAILS COMMUNICATE WITH THE CONSUMERS