Meeting customer expectations
Maximising point-of-sale and the shopping experience for customers is more important than ever as online retail continues to grow apace. Debra Jamieson, Sales & Marketing Director for UK Point of Sale Group, advises garden centres on how to meet customer expectations and drive sales growth.
A
new breed of consumer is emerging and garden centre retailers that fail to adapt to these changing times will be left playing catch up. Evolving shopping habits mean that new, more engaging, shopping environments must be developed – and these environments necessitate a revised use of point-of-sale displays to tap into shoppers’ psyches. To compete with rapidly expanding e-commerce platforms, garden centres need to raise the bar in terms of the information they communicate to their customers and how this information is displayed.
Increased usage of freestanding signs, such as A-boards and showcard floorstands for instance, can have a dramatic effect. These straightforward yet highly effective devices can offer clear visual communications about plants and promotions.
All aspects of a shoppers experience should be carefully considered and point-of-sale displays should, of course, be in keeping with the garden centre space. Portable displays however can be strategically and sympathetically positioned to maximise sales impact without compromising the all important aesthetics of the garden merchandise. Moreover, they can be easily repositioned, reflecting any development of a garden centre’s design and layout, and can be used to act as directional signage attracting customers to new plant and product areas.
Although garden centres have proved more resilient than other retail sectors in the face of one of the most challenging economic periods on record, they have not been immune to the downturn. Shoppers have become increasingly price-led and, consequently, point-of-sale marketing must work
harder than ever helping to fashion, and draw attention to, eye-catching displays. A number of different devices can be used to communicate offers and weekly promotions.
The garden centre environment is far more free form than most retail spaces, encouraging browsing and impulse buying, and every effort must be made to capitalise upon this.
If garden centres offer design consultation services, shoppers should be made aware of this, whether via hanging poster advertising, banners or indoor or outdoor flags. Consumers have a burgeoning appetite for the history and stories behind different plants. They also want to know a range of information from what plants are suitable for their gardens to what types of soil they thrive in and how fast they grow.
By appropriately employing literature holders and leaflet dispensers – from zigzag brochure displays to innovative carousels – customers can also be provided with easy access to information that would be available to online shoppers at the touch of a button. Large banner and poster displays can also offer a great starting point for relaying such information, and can now be purchased as modular units with integrated dispensers. Point-of-sale displays should be periodically updated to keep them looking clean, streamlined and professionally consistent. Garden centres that successfully put themselves in the shoes of customers are well positioned to ensure they offer a retail experience that supersedes virtual shopping – and that they maximise sales and their bottom line.
GCU AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2011
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