April 2024 NEWSLETTER
SHOPPING WITH TEN YEAR OLD GIRLS
I spent a fair bit of the Easter vacay shopping with my 10 year old daughter and her friends.
It’s an education in our future customers that’s for sure.
On the list: Target, Apple, Typo, Mecca, All Kinds, Anywhere that sells nails, hoodies and bike shorts, Yo-Chi
Off the list: Basically, anywhere I suggest. Cue: eye rolls, shakes of the head and quiet sighs of ‘Oh Mum’.
It’s interesting to watch them shop though. They want to spend ages (like hours!) trying things on, trying out testers, picking things up and seeing what they do.
Team members don’t tend to talk to them. They just let them get on with it. Shame really as they’re seeking human connection just like us.
Wouldn’t be hard to just say ‘Welcome, have fun girls’. Who knows where it might lead.
5 SENSES SERIES
I love Fridays in retail.
There's just a good feeling.
This month we’re running a series of posts focussing on what we feel when we walk into a store.
Why do we stay?
Why do we leave?
It fascinates me!
Once we're inside a store it starts with our senses. Subconsciously we're deciding if we like it here or not.
What we SEE is the greatest influence on our decision -83% to be precise.
So visual merchandising, cleanliness, tidy POS, well-groomed team members, colour blocking and clear pricing matter more than we know.
The image of Husk in Toorak gives an idea of what I mean.
It's simply inviting.
11% of our decision to stay in store is based on what we HEAR.
Our minds spring to music which of course matters: is it on brand, appropriate for the time of day, do the team like it, on repeat... But then there's the chat.
What's the team vibe? Gossiping, complaining, get the sense you're interrupting something OR positive, upbeat, keen to chat or include you?
What do you hear in your store when you really listen.
Should I stay or should I go now....
Although what we SMELL is only 3% of the reason we stay or go, it's surely our most direct sense transporting us back to a distant memory.
If I smell Coco Mademoiselle it's like my Mum is right here.
Our sense of smell enriches our experience of the world around us.
Different scents can change our mood so in retail they really matter. If I was blind-folded and asked where I was I'd know instantly if I was in Tigerlily or Aesop, such powerful brand recognition.
What's your store smelling like?
Freshly laundered clothes or last night's microwaved dinner from out the back?
The olfactory experience is one to consider and very easy to improve.
2% of our decision to stay or go is based on the sense of TOUCH.
Think temperature here.
If it's too cold we don't want to stay or try anything on.
The chilled aisle in supermarkets is a good example, fridge doors are their solution to help us shop longer.
Too hot is also a deal breaker - who wants to try on jeans if it's a sweat inducing endurance test?!
We're not suggesting you go quite as far as an outdoor store in Germany did by impressively creating a winter simulator for customers to try on gear.
But hey, whatever it takes!
TASTE may only be 1% of the reason we stay or leave a store but it's a lovely and very easy one to implement.
Our local book store has a little dish of lollies by the POS, a tiny but memorable pleasure.
Food retailers have a very easy tasting opportunity but consider if chilled water, herbal tea or lollies might be a simple way to enhance your customers' experience.
Take a walk through your store as if for the first time.
Notice what your 5 senses are telling you.
Our vision is to create a new class of retail. Explore our services here, we hope you love what we’ve created as much as we do.
See you in store soon
Love, Claire, Janelle and Aba