July/August 2026
ertonline.co.uk
‘Value, it seems, is critical. But what is value?’
money, so the greater the value the greater the return and retailers who are able to demonstrate value more effectively will make more profitable sales more often. Independent retailers have plenty of beneficial assets at their disposal:
getting hands-on with products, expert advice, installation services, after-sales support, local reputation and so on. These strengths and advantages are identified in the ERT report as exactly the things customers want and expect. However, problems arise when customers fail to see the value of a
retailer’s key assets. For example: Do I really need to get hands-on when I can watch a video and check the reviews? Is your top salesperson really that knowledgeable or are they just giving me a load of technical jargon? Why does your installation service cost so much and how robust is your after-sales program?
The online marketplace is not to be underestimated when it comes to
By Paul Laville Director, T21 Training
For me, as someone who has worked in the consumer electronics industry for the last (cough) 30 plus years, this description of the modern shopper shows exactly where and how independent retailers can turn things around. Value, it seems, is critical. But what is value?
T
Simply put, value is what somebody gains. Price is not value, price is a cost and a cost is a loss. If a customer spends £1,000 in your shop then they lose £1,000. Value is what they gain in return for giving you that
he ERT Report presents a snapshot of a post-pandemic marketplace in which supplier-retailer relationships are tested whilst financially challenged consumers are more discerning, preferring to make considered purchasing decisions based on value than price alone.
creating convincing, convenient alternatives to visiting a physical store. We are all far more engaged online and more willing to be convinced by pretty graphics, a TikTok video and a bunch of friendly What’s Apps telling us that buying from
GetYourAppliancesHere.com was the best decision we ever made, that we can sit back and relax because everything is in hand and we’ll be lovingly looked after from here on unto eternity. Amen. Retail has shifted beyond the ‘online vs physical’ because customers no longer differentiate their buying journeys in these terms. I truly believe, and the ERT Report indicates this strongly, that the retail marketplace is now not only fully omnichannel, it’s also become much more ‘customer-centric’. This means that your sales staff must be able to demonstrate the benefits, and therefore the value to customers, of not just your products, but of everything else that gives you an advantage - and do so in context with your customers’ particular lifestyles and habits. It’s more than just saying the words, it’s about showing exactly how and where you deliver exceptional value. You have to prove it again and again. More than ever, retail success is about putting people and their needs, not products and tech specs, at the centre of every customer conversation in store, on the phone, on emails and texts. And it’s absolutely about looking after them once they’ve left the shop, because you can bet your pension that the websites they browsed when they were researching will be texting them offers every week to tempt them back. The ERT Report mentions that retailers are resilient, entrepreneurial and willing to evolve. I wholeheartedly agree. Most of those I’ve met over the years are exactly that and I love them for it. But it’s always worth taking a step back to look at what you do and how you do it, and ask yourself: are you truly delivering and proving value or are you just saying the words?
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