Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The Sights, Smells, Bells and Whistles of Retail

There is nothing like a retail tire store that appeals to the senses.  (Male readers I am sure you can relate.) The smell, a medley of fresh rubber and steel treads.  A buffet of shiny new tires in all shapes and sizes, some with raised white letters, some low profile, some for trucks, sports cars and some for average Joe’s like me that will fit my four-door sedan.  I had arrived at my neighborhood Discount Tire store first thing in the morning, in time to still see the morning light sparkling off the polished chrome wheels on display in-store.  It was a routine visit. I was here only to get my tires rotated.  I have been a loyal customer of Discount Tire for fifteen plus years.  They always have great customer service and their store employees are among the most knowledgeable of any retailer. I also get a fair price and free tire rotations for the life of my tires.  As I sat in the waiting as my tires were rotated, I glanced around the store.  While Discount Tire has a clean store environment, I thought to myself, what is it they could do better?   What if, while I was standing in line, there were touch pad kiosks where I could tap in the year, make and model of my car and not only see what tire recommendations popped up but also gave me the option of seeing what my 10 year old car looked like with a flashy new set of wheels to go with new tires.  The first objection to this might be the cost associated with implementing such a program. I bet though Discount Tire could get a lot of cooperation from wheel and tire manufacturers to offset the cost.  While I was waiting, I also asked one of the store employees if Discount Tire had an app for my iPhone.  They informed me that they did not, but that one was on the way.  Wouldn’t it be great, if this app alerted me when it was time to get my tires rotated, based on how miles I put on my car in a year? Or what about tire care information and safety tips? I could also use this app to track discounts I a receiving from their loyalty program. 

After getting my tires rotated, I was off to get my haircut. This time to another chain retailer I am loyal to; Sport Clips.  Their store environment makes me feel like I’m at a major sporting event!   The waiting area has stadium seating, ESPN on multiple screens, local sports memorabilia throughout and a locker room environment. (Minus the locker room smell.)  The only things missing are the guy yelling “Get your popcorn and peanuts!” and the sticky stadium floors. My reasons for being loyal to Sport Clips are essentially the same as they are for Discount Tire.  Good customer service, fair price and in Sport Clips case, a loyalty program.  Yet just like Discount Tire, there is room for improvement.  Most of it revolves around technology and in-store messaging. What if they too had an app that linked to my cell phone to remind me when to schedule an appointment and offered hair care tips and tracked my loyalty rewards.  Another thing Sport Clips does is sell inexpensive combs for $.99 at the front counter.  What if they gave away their combs? This could be used as an instant marketing message. The combs could have the Sport Clips name on them, have a QR code that linked me to their web site, where I could get coupons, hair care tips or donate to their cause marketing efforts?  

What do you think of my conclusions?  What is your favorite retailer and why do you visit them. What could they do better?  



Friday, June 15, 2012

My Emotional Rescue: The Retail Store


In part one of this blog I highlighted how important it is for brands to make an emotional connection to their customers.  Consumers are four times more likely to shop retailers they are emotionally connected with.
 I’ve been known to occasionally develop “brand crushes” on retailers that I am attracted to. With an in-store environment that appeals to all the senses, Pier 1 Imports is certainly one of these. 

On a recent visit to Pier 1 my senses immediately blossomed when I first walked in to the store. Entering a Pier 1 is like taking in the aromas of a freshly brewed cup of coffee or glass of wine.  I even stood still and closed my eyes for a moment, breathed in and took in the rich aromatic bouquet. (Okay that probably sounds a little nutty but I freely admit I can be a little obsessive about store environments.)    The scent was one of a hint of cocoanut, spices and flowers.  As I walked around the store, I asked a store employee about the scent. She told me that the scent of the month is called island orchard.  It was a very alluring smell and matched the theme of the rest of the store. Brilliantly colored merchandise virtually lit up the store with carefully selected point of purchase signing which matched the colors of the products. So meticulous is Pier 1 in their in-store environment, even the fonts in the signing was carefully selected to bring out a nostalgic summer theme.   Also part of the store environment was the music selection.  Upbeat pop-rock from the 80’s and 90’s accentuated the store environment. When you look at these pictures do you hear “Boys of Summer” playing in your head?

In the blog last week, I mentioned that I would highlight Sheetz C-stores.  But having recently visited a Bass Pro Shops, I decided to switch gears.  So I put my vehicle in virtual four-wheel drive mode and headed to the king of outdoor retailers.  Pier 1 and Bass Pro are as different as night and day but similarities abound in that they have unbelievable in-store environments.  Immediately, as I entered the Bass Pro, it felt as if my dress shoes, starched dress shirt and neatly pressed slacks were transformed into a pair of REDHEAD hiking boots and Columbia outdoor gear.  Everything Bass Pro does screams outdoor paradise!  The only thing thankfully missing is mosquitos.




Prior to entering Bass Pro, I had in my mind that this was a man cave type of store.  I was pleasantly surprised though to see that Bass Pro does a very good job of catering to both men and women outdoor types.  Their at-store marketing in this respect seems to be doing the trick as a quick glance at their patrons showed a good balance between men, women and children. What Bass Pro does as well as any luxury retailer is their visual merchandising as these photos indicate.
As asked in Part one of this series, what store connects with you and how does their store environment enhance your shopping experience?




Thursday, June 7, 2012

What is Your Retail Emotional Rescue? (Part 1 of 2)


Every once in a while events happen in our life which change our way of thinking.  Sometimes this is sudden, and sometimes it is gradual.  The latter is the case for me in this instance.  Over the last several months, I have been exposed to some incredible creative and marketing talent.  The source of this has been some of the best colleagues and team environment I have ever been a part of.  In addition, I have read hundreds of blogs, industry articles, and several books such as Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson, The Tipping Point, Brandwashed, and most recently Brainfluence. These factors combined have changed the way I see the retail world.
A part of one such book is worthy of note.  In chapter 11 of Brainfluence, Roger Dooley highlights the point that marketing efforts should appeal to all the senses; sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch.  My personal example is this:  As a young boy, my dad and one or two of my siblings and our family dog would hop in the family suburban every other Sunday and visit the local Dunkin Donuts for a dozen donuts. I would always order a white cream filled donut and a couple of donut holes for the family dog. We’d then hop back in the Suburban where I’d have to wait with anticipation for ten “long” minutes until we’d arrive at home and I could enjoy the smooth, silky taste of the cream and moist taste of the donut that went with it.  Today, I still enjoy the Dunkin brand, although it’s usually a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito that I order. Although, truthfully l still get one of their scrumptious donuts every so often. 
Without knowing it, as a child I was influenced by multiple channels, which in turn gave me a lasting emotional connection to Dunkin Donuts.  First of all I saw Fred the Baker in the “Time to make the Donuts” TV ads. This was enhanced at their store with their point-of-purchase marketing messages along with the aromatic smell of fresh baked donuts. I even remember the sound of the crinkling wax paper the attendant used to pick up my cream filled donut and put it in the box.  This was topped off with the grainy but soft touch of the donut and the taste of it as I consumed it.
Putting the sense of sound, taste, smell, and touch aside, how does the sense of sight enhance your buying decision as a consumer and your brand as a marketer?  Also, how does this help connect a customer better emotionally via multiple channels to your brand? An emotionally connected customer is one that cannot be ignored.  In a study by Motista, only 18% of consumers indicated they were connected emotionally to their brand. Also mentioned in this study was the fact that consumers who feel emotional connections to their retailers are four times more likely to shop those retailers when relevant needs arise. 
What brands have an emotional connection to you?


Ever walk into a Starbucks and it’s almost as if you’re put into a trance?  The sight of their warm, hearth like cafĂ© environment, robust smell of various flavors of coffee, their well portioned pastries and visual merchandising have a huge appeal. Their store environment is so impactful that I’ve noticed how their coffee seems to taste better if I enjoy it at their store versus taking it to-go.  Their great customer service, with baristas often remembering customers’ names and favorite beverage add to the emotional impact.   Visit them online or via social media and you’ll find a consistent message being communicated.   It’s important to point out though, that if they had all other channels in sync; social media, web, print, TV, and radio but their store environment was lackluster, the emotional impact and revenues would fall flat.





Next week, I’ll highlight Sheetz and Pier 1 Imports.  In the meantime, I’d invite you to visit these or other retailers and see if you come up with the same conclusions I do.