Front Lines
news/analysis
SAYING ‘HELLO’ HELPS SAY
GOODBYE TO RETAIL CRIME
RETAILERS COULD SAY GOODBYE TO CRIME BY SAYING:
‘HELLO’ TO CUSTOMERS, ACCORDING TO A NEW BOOK ON
STORE MERCHANDISING AND BRAND MARKETING.
THE suggestively titled Initial easy it is to understand. More
Lust by Angi Egan, the former critically, it allows a customer
merchandising director to to imagine what it is like to
Anita Roddick at the Body own one.”
Shop calls for the ‘liberation “Once a client has a
of the retail space’ so that product in their hand, they
customers can connect with become emotionally
the products and the brand, connected to it and paying
rather than locking tempting for it becomes a trivial point.”
items out of reach. She says the assumption
Egan, a retail that locking goods away will
psychotherapist argues that mean that customers will ask
UK retailers need to learn if they want to see something
how to romance and re- – is false.
engage with their customers Much of the reluctance by
who like a love courtship, retailers to throw open the
want an ‘emotional’ locked door of the retail
connection with the brand cabinets is the fear of people
before it leads to a pinching the products. This is
transactional relationship. sadly a fact of retail life and
In a chapter entitled: so needs to be built into the
‘Liberate the Retail Area’ she depreciation line on your P&L.
says: “It’s hard to over It is however, not all misery.
emphasise the importance of The upturn in retail sales
open merchandising in the more than compensates for
retail environment. I still see the loss from theft. If it didn’t
retailers who lock everything we would not have successful
away behind glass cabinets retailers on the high street. Angie Egan
and showcases. Keeping Security cameras can be
products there prohibits sales. installed, but my belief and Initial Lust is part of a series brand fidelity rather than the
You can have the best experience has shown that of five books all about promiscuous consumer
product range in the world the most effective deterrent "Romancing the Customer". behaviour that the extremes
with the most seductive to shrinkage is to ensure that The theme of all the books of either hard sell or simply
merchandising displays, but if all staff acknowledges the encourages a smoldering ignoring your customer
the customer can’t pick things presence of every customer. seduction rather than the currently engender," says
up, it’s a complete waste. If This has a wonderful way of "Wham, bam, thank-you Egan who learned her
customers are unable to welcoming a genuine Ma'am" business approach. bedside manner from being a
experience the product, the customer and a very effective "It's official – sexy isn't sex front line nurse and serving as
just won’t buy.” way of letting a potential and romancing is no quick Anita Roddick's
She says consumers want thief know that you have romp to get customers to buy, merchandising director at
more than ever to ‘touch and seen them. It can be a simple especially at a time when we Body Shop during her varied
play’ and adds: “Apple does hello or it can be a direct are all tightening our belts career to date.
this brilliantly without comment About the product because of the credit crunch,” This is no one-night stand. It
compromising security. It is they are looking at.” she says. takes time to build brand
vital for the customer to Egan says that stores must “Retailers need to build equity and the ‘woo-ing and
experience the product for not however use the four long-term meaningful wowing’ are not what the
themselves. They want to most useless words in retail; relationships with their Brits do well in terms of store
know how it feels and how “can I help you?” customers to encourage lay-out and staff training. RF
10 • RETAIL FRAUD
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