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How Are You Going to Woo and Wow Your Customers this Holiday Season?
A couple of weeks ago the L.A. Times ran an article on how fashion retailers were using in-store events to lure buyers.
The article, Fashion sellers turn shopping into an event by Susan Carpenter, explains that a variety of retailers (outlets, specialty stores, department stores) are "rolling out the red carpet for shoppers" by 'hiring DJs, screening movies, serving drinks, offering tattoos, showing art, and throwing parties." Stacey Ruth, CEO and chief creative officer of the Wow Factory event marketing firm in Atlanta, was quoted. She said: "Retailers are really jumping in [to experiential marketing] because in this kind of economy, you've got to build that brand affinity if you're going to survive. With events, there's an interaction between the brand and the consumer that is not purchase-dependent. Retailers are able to capture information about their customers that's not invasive, and customers get a chance to try without having to buy and to get some perks and benefits for participating."
Obviously, Ruth has a vested interest in promoting events as a valuable retailing tool. And, I have to admit that some of the events and giveaways that Carpenter writes about sound great (e.g. a free pass to a screening of a soon-to-be-released movie if you spend $150 at Bloomingdale's). But, I'm curious how big a role events and giveaways play in the marketing plans of the average independent retailer. Will you be hosting an in-store event in the coming months? Have they worked for you in the past? Do you have to roll out the red carpet for your customers or just offer them good merchandise at a fair price? What's your plan for wooing and wowing your customers this holiday season?
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Lori Smith, , Editor-in-Chief
Lori Smith is the editor of Gifts and Tablewares, Canada's premiere gifts and tablewares magazine. Written for retailers of gifts, tablewares, housewares, stationery and home furnishing accessories, its objective is to help readers increase their sales and run their businesses more profitably by providing information on new products, merchandising, small business management, customer service, consumer behavior and industry news. The magazine is published six times a year by BIG Magazines, LP, a leading Canadian information company.
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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on November 9, 2009 11:02 AM.
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