Global connectivity,globalisation and competition among retailers have changed the retail landscape. It is now that consumers can buy whatever they want, from wherever in the world they want - all from the comfort of their own homes - retailers need to do something more than just sell merchandise in order to defend their place in the market.
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| Retail Shoppinh with a change |
Successful retailers of the future need to offer their customers an experience they cannot get online or through a shopping app.
Savvy retailers have already started to use generosity to build their brands. This means sacrificing some sales in exchange for positive brand sentiment.
Savvy retailers have already started to use generosity to build their brands. This means sacrificing some sales in exchange for positive brand sentiment.
These retailers have realised the key to building a human relationship with their customers is give first, and take second, In other words I mean that pushing product is not enough; stores also need to be unexpectedly generous – with their time or produce in order to delight their cliental.
After all, what is more delightful than getting something for free?
This is a radical departure from traditional commerce, which decrees companies should take as much money as possible from their customers, in exchange for as little as possible in order to remain profitable.
As the first revolutionary retailers embrace this spontaneous, unaffected generosity the bar is simultaneously raised for their competitors.
Cost-cutting suddenly becomes false economy in a world where customers demand to be delighted – not just serviced - in exchange for share of mind and share of wallet.
Pushing product, the way it’s always been done, is simply not enough to survive the new retail landscape.
Cost-cutting suddenly becomes false economy in a world where customers demand to be delighted – not just serviced - in exchange for share of mind and share of wallet.
Pushing product, the way it’s always been done, is simply not enough to survive the new retail landscape.
In example Tokyo’s Harimaya Honten, is showing the world how to be generous. Harimaya has been giving away freshly brewed green tea and coffee - and his famous rice snacks - to anyone who visits his chain of Free Café Harimaya Station outlets since 2008. Then there’s Anthon Berg… The premium Danish chocolatier brought his slogan, ‘You can never be too generous’, to life with a pop-up shop called The Generous Store, launched in March 2012.
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| Uniliver SA |
The ‘give to get’ movement is not limited to retail outlets; big brands are also embracing the opportunity to be unnecessarily generous:
For example, Unilever, in conjunction with their creative agency, SapientNitro, recently set up smile-activated vending machines that gave away free ice-cream in exchange for nothing more than a big grin as a part of their ‘Share Happy’ marketing campaign.
Retailers across the globe are turning business on its head, by giving away their merchandise. Should most retailetrs get with the programme?
well I dont really think this is a good idea and i do not see South Africa adopting that method of selling and you probably asking yourself WHY am i saying so.....South Africa is still a developing country in which many of its citizines are still bettling to finds jobs, if they introduce this system do you know how bad this country is going to suffer because this is simply industialisation (people are being replaced by machines) in this sense the only person with a job would be the driver because those goods need to be delivered at the end of the day.....the idea is good but its not going to benefit everyone thus the country should make decisions which will be best for everyone
ReplyDeleteI hear you,However I believe it is innovation . In view of online newspapers and magazines ,many had thought that is the end of traditinal news sources yet we still find ourselves utilising the traditonal newspaper.
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