Retail Contrarian

Irony in Retail

Last Sunday my wife and I took our two sons to the local grammatically-incorrect baby superstore to pick up some items for our 9-month-old.

As we strolled through the store, I saw a few examples of merchandise that was either poorly displayed or inadequately assembled. One such item was a baby swing on an elevated endcap shelf. The frame of the swing was upright, but the seat was turned to a 90-degree angle, making it impossible to sit a child in it.

Curious to see what the swing looked like when it was displayed correctly, I reached up and turned the seat to its proper position. It was then that the whole thing fell from the shelf in a cacophony of bangs and clatters. Customers all around the store popped their heads up like a giant whack-a-mole game to see what had happened.

Fortunately, despite being parked in the shopping cart next to the display, my son was unhurt. The swing didn't hit anything or anyone in its downward trajectory, and the only thing bruised was my ego. I quickly picked up the pieces and set them on the shelf, and moved away from the scene of the crime.

It took over four minutes (I timed it) for an employee to approach and inquire about everyone's condition. Her first words: "Is anything broken?" I assumed by the way she was studying the merchandise and not us that she was referring to product, not people. Her second question: "Does anything need to be cleaned up?" I held my tongue for my family's sake. My wife explained what had happened. The employee (not a manager) said "Oh, that's the second time today that's happened."

No apology, no concern. I wondered if she had come over on her own, or if another customer had said something to her. Regardless, it seemed that our little accident had interrupted her day and possibly delayed her cigarette break. My family walked out of the store without buying anything.

And here's the ironic part: The very next day's mail brought us a circular from that particular retailer. The theme of the "sale", plastered all over the front of the flier? "Think Safety!"

Love Those Williams-Sonoma Windows

I can’t go the mall without stopping to take a look at the Williams-Sonoma windows. I just love  the way they connect the store and the window displays to the current catalog and website.

Sure other retailers have  "edgier" windows that gets them more press, (think Victoria's Secret) but what makes Williams-Sonoma so special is they achieve their goal, getting me to walk in the door and/or create purchase intent. Too many retailers spend too much time trying to create pretty or cutesy windows instead of making sure they have high impact and effectively achieve the retailer's goals.

Anybody who wants to improve their merchandising approach can’t go wrong by spending some time learning and observing both Williams-Sonoma and the Pottery Barn stores.

Creating a Lasting Last Impression

One mistake some companies make is focusing too much on the customer's first impression and not the last.  Both are important for different reasons but it's that last impression that stays with the customer the longest. 

Here's a great example of a lasting last impression.  Last week I had a wonderful stay at the Denver Marriott City Center. After checking out I was waiting out front for the shuttle to the airport when the bellman engaged me about my stay and offered to hail a cab.  I thanked him for his offer but said I was waiting for my shuttle. 

He told me that would be about another five minutes until the shuttle arrived and then asked if I would like a bottle of water or a newspaper.  Even though I declined the offer, I was impressed.  THIS is how you create loyal advocates - by doing even more for your happy customers. 

We know that the way the customer is presented with their purchase is an important last impression.  A heartfelt thank-you is extremely lasting, and so is inviting them back as they exit the store. Or maybe you could offer them a chocolate or a bottle of water.

Here's a quick exercise for you and/or your managers. Take a walk from your counter to outside the front door, and look for what messages you are or are not telling your customer.

So let me ask, what else can you do to give a great last impression? 

The Cashwrap Rap

Let's take a moment and rap about the cashwrap. Having a well-designed cashwrap and maintaining it is an important element of the customer's experience. Your customer is making a purchase - that's good news - but don't ruin the whole experience at the end.  The checking-out process should be enjoyable and not made difficult by a poorly maintained cashwrap.

A recent walk through my local mall revealed some very poorly maintained cashwrap areas.  One store I visited has a cashwrap that measures something like 3 feet wide by 6 feet long but had maybe one square available for their customers to use.

In another store, one whose name rhymes with "rap," I saw binders, hangers, and other assorted items stacked on the cashwrap. The only thing you noticed was this big pile of stuff on the counter.  I'm sorry to report that when I walked past the same store two hours later nothing had changed.  Yikes!

Try these suggestions to maximize this area of your store:

1. Keep clutter to a minimum. Showing the customer 15 different impulse items usually results in few or no impulse sales.  Thoughtfully select one or two key products that a customer can pick up and fiddle with while they're being rung up.

2. Don't over-sign the area. Think of each sign as separate voice; if you get too many voices going at once the customer won't hear a single thing. Combine all of your policy signs into one single sign.

3. Maximize the space directly behind the counter. Too many retailers create a pretty display area behind the counter that serves little value. Consider for a moment what is happening at the counter. A buying customer, our favorite kind, is standing at the counter looking at this space while their purchase is being rung. What do you want to happen? Some retailers try to use that space to sell more products although that doesn't work as much as we think since so many customers have shifted from buying mode to paying mode. I like to use the space to reassure the customer about their purchase. One way to do that is to use graphics of a happy customer or of customers enjoying their purchases. Whatever you want to do with the space, do it with the customer in mind.

4. Keep it neat and well maintained. The main purpose of the cashwrap is to be the place where a customer's purchase is completed.  It's not a general workplace for the staff. Insist that it remain perfect during store hours. Ban sticky notes. Get employees in the habit of putting customer returns away immediately after the transaction. The same goes for a back counter. Its primary purpose is to hold a customer's purchases while they're shopping. Don't let it become messy with gift-wrapping scraps or store paperwork. Remember, this is one of the last things your customer sees.

5. Last but not least, no leaning! While everyone may know your name, this is not the bar at Cheers. Ring the sale and then get out from behind there. We all know that every cashwrap has some strange magnetic pull on the human body, but we need to fight it with all our might. There's nothing that turns off customer more than an employee lying on the counter. Well that's not totally true. An employee with garlic breath or chomping some big honking wad of gum is worse . . .  but lying on the counter is still pretty far up there.

So let me ask, as you look at your cashwrap today - how's your cashwrap rap? Share some of your cashwrap rap with us below.