Retailers Need In-store Reality Check to Combat Competition on Internet

From Boulder County Business Report

ROCHESTER, MI — With U.S. Internet sales on pace to reach $65 billion this year, according to government figures, what are storefront operators to do in 2005 to protect their slice of the action?

Get real about the condition of your showrooms, says an expert who’s witnessed retailing good, bad and ugly.

“You have to ‘fess up’ to yourself about your store,” counsels Steve Brown, a Detroit-area showroom observer who’s evaluated 10,000 U.S. stores in 10 years for his clients and company, automotive market researchers S.H. Brown.

“Retailers in every business need a back-to-basics, guerilla marketing approach to in-store selling because no misfire goes unnoticed. Consumers today are busy, savvy and readily seduced by the allure of easy Web transactions.”

For sustained business health, Brown advises brick-and-mortar retailers to make reality checks from the consumer’s viewpoint. “It’s surprising how often many of these elements are overlooked,” Brown warns.

Retailers, ask if your store is:

* Functional. Take a discriminating look at the store’s physical setup. Do you make it easy to browse, or is the showroom overcrowded, under stocked or a hassle for shoppers? An advantage for retail outlets over the Web is that customers can interact with the product.

* Efficient. Make it easy for customers to get to the cash register, displays, service area and especially the rest room.

* Safe. Are entrances well-lit and walkways clear? Are there visual sightlines to exits? Can everyone easily and safely leave the building if there’s a fire? Nothing you sell will be worth a physical risk to your customers. Never lead them to suspect there is one, even subconsciously.

* Sexy. Does your store have the eye candy that makes it sizzle? Does it say to your customer, things are happening here? Are your products presented in a compelling way, and displays the best they can be? Is there some positive emotion in the showroom?

“Internet sales are juiced by the fact that no one has time to aimlessly wander toward a purchase decision,” Brown notes. “So now more than ever, retailers need to kick it up a notch and be as compelling, efficient and functional as possible.”

_______________________________________

Click here to view the rest of today’s headlines.