MYSTERY SHOPPER SUMMARY 10/10
CURRYS AND PC WORLD WOODEN counters,
illuminated signs and rows of products greeted me to this ‘Store of the Future’. The clean and neat rows were arranged with a clear consideration of customers’ needs – cards to purchase Microsoft Office and McAfee Anti-Virus were smartly placed at the end of each counter, with accessories on nearby shelves.
A customer assistant soon approached me to kindly offer his help. Responding clearly to every question I asked with simple
SAINSBURY’S
explanations of the benefits of attributes such as an i-series processor and extra RAM, the man recommended an HP model for £350. He added that a hybrid device may be useful for note-taking during lectures – showing his understanding of customer needs.
The man explained the deals and offers available, without giving the impression of a forced sale. With different deals for laptops, Currys and PC World presented a shopping experience that just couldn’t be argued with.
FINDING tablets in Sainsbury’s was a struggle.
After some time wandering aisles stacked with televisions, I finally spotted a cardboard display I had almost certainly walked past already. The cardboard display was the entirety of the supermarket’s tablet offering: six products above a row of different cameras.
There were iterations of Samsung’s Tab 3 tablet, beginning with the seven- inch 8GB model for £139, before increasing to the 16GB model for £199.
Two of the remaining tablets were budget models – one with a price tag of £130 and severely underpowered, while the other system was devoid of a price altogether. The remaining ‘tablet’ was in fact an e-reader: the £69 Nook Glowlight. Hardly the multi-function productivity device I had come seeking. With the checkouts packed with customers, freely available customer assistants were as absent as student- suitable tech. It hardly mattered, nothing would have secured a sale from me.
3/10
WITH ANOTHER school year just around the corner, now is the ideal time for retailers to begin focusing their efforts on appealing to students. With a variety of tablets, desktops and laptops available for use as study systems, retailers can showcase their customer service and technical knowledge by highlighting the benefits of different form factors and specs for specific subjects and school years. Currys and PC World, this month’s star store, clearly demonstrated the power of allowing users to get hands-on with machines – after all, comfort is key for those expecting to research and write essay after essay. However, Maplin and Sainsbury’s neglected to understand this, with cardboard displays and online-only offerings. It was fantastic to see that nearly all of the stores I visited maximised their retail
“Currys and PC World
demonstrated the power of allowing users to get hands-on with machines.”
potential by positioning student essentials such as productivity software and anti-virus solutions.
9/10 ARGOS
A BRIGHT and attractive stall emblazoned with the Windows logo greeted me in the Argos store.
The display featured an Acer laptop for £300 and a Microsoft Surface 2 tablet for £359 – both reasonable student devices.
Argos clearly understood the importance of offering an appealing deal to students, with Microsoft Office Home and Student subscription cards placed alongside. The retailer’s distinctive catalogue continued the impressive assistance: the
www.pcr-online.biz
first page of the computing section explaining each machine specification, as well as providing support numbers for every vendor. With around 10 pages of laptops and accessories, it was hard to complain about lack of choice. I came across an Asus Vivobook including Office for £300.
Between its staff, catalogue and retail environment, Argos provided everything needed to find the right machine. Only one thing could have sped up the process – more products out on display.
With the highest-scoring stores also highlighting their timely student deals and promotions, they set an example that all stores should start to follow.
It was particularly interesting to see that, at least for students, laptops still remain the primary form factor of choice, with tablets failing to match up to the usability and performance aspects of a traditional computer. While tablets are often proclaimed to be the harbinger of decline for traditional computing forms, it is reassuring to see that one of the strongest consumer demographics is still set to keep the PC alive.
All retailers should learn a lesson and take solace from this month’s selection of stores. For students, it seems, nothing beats the traditional – physical outlets, standard form factors and a focus on customer experience over low-price online shopping.
PCR August 2014 | 53
STAR STORE
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