Retail Contrarian

Dude, Where's My Customer?

There's a very funny quote in the Times Tribune from Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a national retail consulting and banking firm. In an article about Boscov's Chapter 11 filing and the chances of them emerging successfully, Mr. Davidowitz said,

“Young people don’t find department stores cool. Every time there’s an obituary, the department stores lose a customer.”

Ouch!

Department stores operating in rough retail environment

The Karma Loss Prevention Approach

Happy August 1st.  I don't know about you but as far as I'm concerned, this summer is flying by way too fast.  And why is May 1st called May Day but August 1st isn't called August Day? Well, I'm starting a movement - HAPPY AUGUST DAY!

 

Here's a great sign I found in this in a funky and fun store called Revolution in White River Junction, Vermont.  The owners of Revolution classify their store as "eco-chic apparel & ultimate gear for men and women."  Since I'm not eco-chic I didn't purchase anything but I did see a wonderful selection of clothing by up-and-coming independent designers, vintage fashion, and some well known designer labels.  The store has a fabulous vibe, an espresso bar, and outstanding customer service.  This sign certainly beats the typical "we prosecute."

Some Far Out Retail Tips

One day I sat down to write one of my Daily Retail Experience articles without a topic in mind. That doesn't happen very often; most of the time I know what I plan to write about before I begin. Sometimes what I start out to write about and what I end up writing are different things entirely - but I digress.

I decided that listening to one of my favorite radio stations might motivate me to get past my blank Word document. I turned on the Classic Rock station and blasting out of the speakers came the old Bachman Turner Overdrive song Taking Care of Business.

Here I am singing along, "Taking care of business every day. Taking care of business every way." I think to myself, that's great retail advice. If we're going to be successful we need to make sure we're always taking care of business.

I began to wonder how many nuggets of good retail advice might be hidden in some of those old 70's songs. So to lighten up your week here are a few that I thought of:

Thank You by Sly and the Family Stone (1970)
Is that one of your favorite words to say? So often it means a customer has made a purchase or someone has done something to please you. Not only is it great to say, but it's music to your customer's ears as well. Are your people saying "Thank You" at every opportunity?

You're So Vain by Carly Simon (1972)
While shopping for a new Blackberry the other day I had the wonderful opportunity to learn everything about what my salesperson likes in a phone. Too bad he never bothered to find out what I wanted. I should have sung, "You're so vain, I bet you think this sale is about you. Don't you? Don't you?"

Make Me Smile by Chicago (1970)
If we can make a customer smile the chances are good we'll make a sale. It might not be that day, but that customer will be back.

You've Got a Friend by James Taylor (1971)
A few years ago I attended a retailer's annual meeting where the theme was "Make a Friend." The idea was that if they could engage a customer enough to "make a friend" that they would be more likely to create a sale. As a result they had a very good year that year. Are you making friends with your customers?  You know what they say: "Friends don't let friends leave the store empty handed." Well, maybe I'm the only "they" who says it but that's okay. 

What's Your Name by Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
Shouldn't you know your new friend's name? Asking a customer his/her name might be uncomfortable at first but the more you do it the easier it gets. Try it for one week and I know you'll see the difference in your sales numbers.

Blinded By the Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1977)
As a customer I can't stand it when I turn to look at something in the store and am "blinded by the light." When's the last time you checked the position of your spotlights?  One of the biggest mistakes I see stores make is to try to throw a spotlight on a product that is just too far away from the light source.

Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin (1969)
Don't let the "nervous breakdown, drive me insane" happen to your team. Consider a weekly written communication to ensure that everyone on the team has the same information. This also keeps you from spending time in staff and one-on-one meetings repeating information that can be easily communicated once in a memo/newsletter. It also keeps you from having Second Hand News. (Fleetwood Mac - 1976)

The First Cut is the Deepest by Rod Stewart (1976)
Well that's great advice when you're marking down products. When it's time to move through those slow sellers or seasonal products the first markdown should be the biggest.

Take the Money and Run by Steve Miller Band (1976)
Enough said.

Now that I’m done Reminiscing (Little River Band – 1978), it’s time to hit the floor because The Show Must Go On (Three Dog Night – 1974) and it is time for you to make lots of Money (Pink Floyd – 1973).

Take It Easy! (Eagles – 1972)

A Retail Phenomenon Alert

Some of the retailers I've talked with recently have told me that to some degree they are seeing less traffic than previously.  While it seems that most weekend traffic is holding up pretty well, the weekday traffic appears to be the most affected.

In talking with retail associates during a recent mall walk I heard time and time again about the slow days and lack of traffic.  One employee commented that "corporate" keeps telling them to "sell, sell, sell" and she wanted to respond "to whom, to whom, to whom?"

The challenge is that the slower the store the less focused and attentive the staff becomes. Now before anyone becomes defensive let me say that I know this for a fact from working the floor myself. I almost always executed at a higher level on busier days than the slower ones.

Please put tongue in cheek and read on!

On slow days we all become victims of the dreaded "slow store trance" phenomenon. You know the slow store trance, don't you?  The clock slows way, way down until you're no longer sure it's moving at all.  Then the yawning starts.  From there the only way to stay standing up is by leaning on the counter or a fixture.  Sometimes you don't even realize you've fallen into the slow store trance.  One sure sign it's happening is that you spend an endless amount of time talking about what you're going to have for lunch or dinner, or what you're going to do that night.

The challenge with the slow store trance is that you're unable to quickly snap out of it. When a customer comes in you think you're operating at full capacity but you're not.  As a result you don't completely maximize the customer opportunity, which then causes you to go even deeper into the trance.  It's an ugly spiral.

I'm sure you're wondering why other retail experts don't write about this malady.  I'd like to tell you that it's because I'm the only one who is brave enough to take on this fearsome subject, but the fact is most of them probably don't have the vivid imagination I do.  But I digress.

Here are some ways to avoid the slow store trance and maintain productivity:

1. Use the buddy system. That's right; friends don't let friends fall into trances.  By using the buddy system a staff can warn each other when they see signs that a trance is approaching.  Remember, those signs include yawning, leaning, and endless talk about your next meal or what you're going to do that night.

2. Remain focused on your daily sales goal.  Sales are to the slow store trance as garlic is to a vampire. A laser focus on making goal is a sure fire way to repel the trance and make the time fly by.

3. Roleplay. Whenever you see that a fellow team member has fallen into the trance, use roleplaying to help snap them out of it. Think of it as CPR for the trance but thank your lucky stars you don't have to put your lips on your co-workers.

4. Create mini-contests throughout the day.  For most employees, their competitive nature easily trumps the conditions that allow the trance to take hold. The manager/owner can even put up some small prizes, an action that almost guarantee the trance will move on down the street and take up residence with another retailer.

So what's it going to be today, an alert and sales focused team or the dreaded slow store trance?

Shopping Under the Influence – Creating the Holiday Sales “Buzz”

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a pretty funny article on the perils of SUI – shopping under the influence. Since The Retail Contrarian is a retailer’s blog we’ll use the article Guilty of SUI? to discuss the strategy of selling to the customer who is buzzed.

The article shares some examples of people shopping under the influence including an example I shared from my days of running a Sharper Image at Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston. But the article also point out there are some actual benefits to the customer to drink and shop.

“Still, sipping while shopping is not always a bad thing. A drink can help you relax, loosening you up to finally treat yourself to a new gadget or outfit.”

There you have it. Helping people who are buzzed buy things is our civic duty.

As a matter of fact lingerie stores have used this strategy for years with their Men’s Night promotion. Then again that might be called shopping under the influence of alcohol and lust.

Shopping Shirtless at Abercrombie

At the Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store on Fifth Avenue they always have a shirtless male model on display. Well I guess as much as a real person can be on display. For some people I'm sure it's quite exciting to see a chiseled model up-close and personal, but for the Retail Contrarians it always reminds us why we need to hit the gym.

The other day an Improv group decided to have some fun with it and took 111 male volunteers over to the store to shop shirtless. While some of the volunteers could get a job as the Abercrombie model, our favorites are those who are more like the Retail Contarians. The result is quite funny. It's surprising how long they were able to shop until Abercrombie management moved them out of the store.

Check out the video and hilarious picture at New York Magazine.