“You better start swimmin’, Or you’ll sink like a stone, For the times they are a-changin’.”

Bob Dylan’s famous words from 1963 still ring true today.

The times are changing and it is important as a retailer to keep up with the trends around us or we will sink into the background.

Be a 24/7 Retailer

It’s no longer about opening the shutter door at 9am and closing at 5pm. Your customer needs to be in touch with you 24/7 from any point in the world and that is a dramatic change that many retailers are only now starting to come to grips with.

One in three people are using the internet for clothing and entertainment, one in two for beauty and skin care, two in three for computers and retail merchandise. There is a strong trend for money to seep out of our retail economy as it is much easier to buy from international stores online. We must communicate online where shoppers do their research.

Be unique and up to date

How unique is your offer compared to the market and what do you do as a retailer to think every day, how is my offer unique? What you did yesterday is not going to stack up tomorrow, times are changing and your offer must be strong enough to survive these changes.

Give your customers a reason to be loyal

A term we talk about is the ‘connected apostle’. That is the customer that loves you, knows you, communicates with you and is loyal to you, give them a reason to stay loyal, and they’ll be your apostle and tell others. Loyalty comes about by having the right offer at the right time, and having the right service people. All of these elements will produce customer loyalty.

Myer has over 3.5 million MyerOne members which is testament to the success of their loyalty program. Bernie Brookes discussed this at our Fit for Business Breakfast in November, contact louise@retaildoctor.com.au for more insights from this event.

Be In Line

We need to be better, sharper, fitter and faster in our physical environment to make it a compelling visiting point for our customers. The day has quickly gone where we would comparison shop two or three stores, or two or three departments. The world is changing, we get less chance to maximise that moment of truth and we have to make it stick. It’s consistently about combining our physical and online presence to be a successful in line retailer.

To be a seamless multi-channel operation we must communicate with our customers in all the channels available; our website, social media, our stores, the list goes on.

The Connected Retailer

In March this year we will be holding the next event in our ‘Fit for Business’ Breakfast Series. The event, called the Connected Retailer will address how retailers should be responding to this new order of retailing. If you don’t have a good, active, integrated, multi channel play, you’re going to be left behind. Contact louise@retaildoctor.com.au for more information.

Create real value for me and connect with me on all levels. Start to build your business fitness by being a 24/7, customer connected, micro relationship retailer.

Happy ‘Fit’ Retailing

The Retail Doctor

To discuss how to increase your multi channel sales and profitability to be truly ‘Fit for Business’ please go www.retaildoctor.com.au, email businessfitness@retaildoctor.com.au or phone us on 02 9460 2882.

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