25 Jun 2018
Keep customers in-store longer
The show must go on
Retailers need to give people a reason to come into their stores and an experience that will keep them there for longer, and learn from the stores that are doing it right, says Daniel Todaro, MD of field marketing agency Gekko
In these challenging times, in-store theatre is possibly the retailer’s most powerful and effective way to attract more customers and convert more sales.
Some may argue that Maplin was a great loss to the high street, and I agree, as it served a niche exceptionally well. For the casual passer-by, however, it didn’t entice them in to browse and spend. It lacked theatre that appealed to a wider audience by not defining its ranging to demonstrate that it was a category expert – the place to go.
So what could Maplin have done better to attract a more diverse customer base and stand a chance of surviving? Perhaps translating the customer journey seamlessly through all of its marketing to entice a customer in to purchase through the power of in-store theatre?
When any kind of advertising is used, print, online or broadcast, the stock needs to be in place and the display easily understood, with the message clear to passers-by to remind them of what they saw in the advert. This should culminate in a working display that engages the consumer, backed by knowledgeable sales assistants to guide the customer through the brand experience and close the sale.
Up to 77 per cent of consumers say they research products before buying from a retailer in-store. For electronics, 52 per cent of those turn up in-store to see it, feel it and hear it with a view to then go and buy it online. This need not be so if the customer experience is exemplary and the interaction insightful. The shopper will more often than not be converted and buy on the day, because the item was in stock and the ‘considered’ sale was made easier with the help of knowledgeable sales staff and associated in-store theatre.
