I like to think back to a time when everything was simpler.( https://rafsdarkmind.blogspot.com/2019/05/am-i-my-era.html)
For instance if one need a face cream one
went to the pharmacist and for socks one strolled to the one shop that sold socks.. You could
ask for a coffee, but it was not a store / coffee shop. The beverage was
complementary. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Umbrellas_of_Cherbourg)
Suddenly convenient department stores were appearing out of nowhere in
busy streets (the so-called High Streets) . Or perhaps as a result of the success of the early department stores
regular streets transformed into the
High streets we know today.(
https://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/london-high-street-secrets-revealed)
If Mrs. Janssen needed fresh herbs for her soup and thought of getting
her son a necktie for his upcoming birthday then all of a sudden she would head
to a single place instead of several different addresses.
And while Mrs. Janssen was
looking for the right necktie at the Galeria INNO, she browsed around as well, being
lured by the beautiful light and wide-ranging selection of merchandise.
And sure enough she realised there where many items
that she liked, that in fact, she needed right away. In the same way
the wonderful smells led her to the pastry department.
The marketing of department stores has at its very basis its openness and grandeur.
One walks in and sights and smells are overwhelming.
Hats, gloves, perfumes and more vie for the attention of the potential
customer.
When one step is taken, suddenly colourful travel cases and umbrellas ,
neatly stacked, are crying out to the customer. The customer is greeted with a
cheerful smile at the door and consequently is most likely in a good and receptive mood
upon entering the department store.
"Buy me". "You need me" are examples of messages
subliminally implanted with every step the customer takes
The general approach of English department stores are mainly
customer-centric. https://www.marketingweek.com/2019/01/15/harrods-marketing-customer-segmentation/)
Department stores like Harrods shy away
from the discounting game.
Fun fact about Harrods, the department
store served as background for much of the charming film “Peter Rabbit” .
Harrods prefers to invest in a better
environment conducive to enjoyment and shopping.
I visited Harrods over ten years ago.
At that time a soprano was singing live,
accompanied by an harpist.
I did not end up buying anything that
day. But I must’ve told nearly everyone I know how much I enjoyed the live
music . even now, ten years later I’m
still talking about it
That was probably the highlight of my
trip to London.
Americans think differently and most
important to the department stores there , such as , Century 21, is not first
and foremost the customer experience but rather obtaining customer loyalty.( https://loyaltymethods.com/case-study/c21-marketing-analytics/)
When customers are loyal, then sales soar.
Century 21 takes marketing to the 21st
century and wants to develop a phone app that would guide the customer in their
stores.( https://www.retaildive.com/ex/mobilecommercedaily/century-21-prioritizes-mobile-in-significant-loyalty-program-push)
Many department stores are huge and
people tend to get lost
An app could easily guide people and
personalize their experiences.
Imagine researching a scarf and instantly
thereafter getting a 5% discount voucher via the app. Surely a marketing tool
like that would convert many sightseers into paying customers.
Research has shown that 30% of the people
use their phones while shopping. So they might as well use the store’s app
while they’re at it.
That way they will be both physically
and digitally in the store.
To sum up , department stores want to make their customers
happy.
Bright colours, luxury items,
entertainment and at some point in time even a ladies'
lavatory , are tools that serve as incentives for coming in, staying and coming back often.
