Witness the general lowering of prices which has come about as a result of the downward pressure on price driven by the value retailers and supermarkets. Whatever happened to the promise of quality and the brand trust that was built over decades?
appealing. Sinking into the sofa at home for a quiet relaxing flick through catalogues, placing orders online from a mobile or laptop, with the time to choose – any time of night or day, any day of the week. We see customers shopping from their mobiles during their commutes or at the school gates. Mums in the park with their mobiles showing their friends what they’re about to buy online. People everywhere avoiding the need to shop the high street or shopping centre. No driving, no parking, no queueing, no frustrating search for the item in the right size and colour, no crowds, no stress, no children in tow. Our copy sells the quality, our photography and styling sells the look and the lifestyle, our slick use of technology enables us to deliver a first-rate customer experience every time.
With every consumer bombarded with deals and discounts, loyalty cards and vouchers, incentives to spend in the mail, via email, in the local and national press, as well as suffering from a shortage of “ready money”, something has to give. What direct retailers can give in very good measure is a relaxed, unharried shopping experience as well as great products, great value and wonderful service. We can sell one to one. We can provide great customer service one to one. We can communicate one to one and we can build quality relationships with our customers. If, for example, a consumer bought into the Boden brand, then she will turn to Boden when shopping for clothes whether for self or family. Boden will provide reliably impeccable service whether the spend is £30 or £200. And should she not shop with Boden for a few months there’ll be a gentle nudge via mail or email along with an incentive to get her back into buying mode. She can’t buy Boden anywhere other than from Boden (unless she shops at eBay) and she knows for sure that she can return anything that isn’t right and that it will be refunded or replaced without fuss or quibble. Boden’s short-term problem is that she, and others, may now buy just two tops instead of three or four; and may have to cut her coat according to her cloth in the short term. However, she’ll be back whenever she can afford to buy again.
ecmod DIRECT COMMERCE YEAR BOOK 2011 5
That’s the kind of loyalty that the award-winning companies in this publication have achieved in spades for their customers – whether they’re B2B or B2C. It is not to say that those same qualities cannot also be delivered in a retail store or via a trade counter. They can, and are, by businesses that place the brand and brand values centre stage to create a fantastic shopping experience. Our business community develops the kind of destination stores that traditional retailers can only dream of and B2B propositions that cannot be matched.
So in these straitened times, the challenge is the opportunity. An opportunity to develop stand-out service and go that extra mile for every customer. To segment customer files and market more intelligently, more intuitively. Yes customers are going to be more discerning, which is all the more reason to offer the best value where we can and remain true to our promise. For some that may mean developing a separate standalone sale store or selling via new channels. Others will find their growth opportunities overseas or find ways to work in tandem with other non-competing brands that share similar customer profiles. If ever there was a time to be agile, to be nimble, to be open-minded, it is now.
Hope you enjoy reading about our latest ECMOD Direct Commerce Awards winners and that we’ll be seeing entries from your business next time.
Jane Revell-Higgins Founder/Organiser ECMOD Direct Commerce Awards & Show Tel: 01271-866112
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