5 BUSINESS-BOOSTING
STRATEGIES FOR BRICK - AND
- MORTAR RETAILERS
It is high time that we dispel the notion that
brick-and-mortar stores are at a disadvantage
relative to online retailers. This may hold true in
certain exceptional cases in terms of opening
hours. In other respects, brick - and - mortar
retailing can be way ahead of the competition, if
it so chooses. Take this scenario, for instance:
Just imagine there were no brick-and-mortar stores
and people had only ever bought items online.
Suddenly, someone invents real shops in which you
can smell, taste and feel. Best of all: you can talk to
real people if you have questions and find out about
products at first hand. Everyone is thrilled and delight-
ed with this new kind of recreational activity and inspi-
ration!
So there are wonderful opportunities when a local
shop presents itself well, giving it an outright advan-
tage over online retailing. However, some require-
ments must also be met. All retailers should be aware
of these as they have been part of the industry’s DNA
for centuries.
1. THINK IN TERMS OF CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS
Essentially, retailing is all about relationship manage-
ment. But this also means that you cannot indirectly
foster the relationship. You will often notice nowadays
that if retailers want to survey customers, they hire a
market research agency. If they want to retain
customers, they turn to providers of loyalty
programmes such as Payback. We have basically
forgotten how to engage directly with customers in
local business. But direct contact is exactly what we
Page 04 | Kids India Mag Issue III : April 2018
will need to focus on more intensively in the future. Do
not make your customers your fans. Instead, become
a fan of your customers and show them how you feel.
2. BE A RECREATIONAL OFFERING
The value proposition of brick-and-mortar retailing is
changing radically at the moment. It is no longer
about being a vast warehouse in which your custom-
ers help themselves according to their needs. Firstly,
others – particularly online shops – can do that faster
and more conveniently and also more cheaply in
some cases. Secondly, trends such as the sharing
economy and minimalism are causing people to
move away from consumption. It is becoming increas-
ingly difficult to sell by offering shelves and racks
bursting with products. You have to convey contexts
to people that are then also tied into retailing. A girls’
night experience? Great! Then offer the whole pack-
age in one, with sparkling wine, snack and lingerie
selections! Occasion-based consumption will move
more and more into the forefront, while people will go
elsewhere to simply replenish supplies.
3. BE MULTI-SENSORY
People have more than just the two senses which
e-commerce players can hope to target at most. This
is of huge benefit to brick-and-mortar stores. Under-
stand how sensory contexts arise and how smells,
sounds and temperature levels affect people.
4. PEOPLE LOVE PEOPLE
A local retailer’s sales staff are increasingly the key to
success. But one thing is certain: this does not mean
simply employing minimum-wage shelf stackers.
Success can only be achieved with well-trained and