Madison Avenue Market Peeve
I needed to buy a 3/4-inch, straight router bit today, so I checked the shelves at the local Sears. That's where I bought my original set of four bits when I first bought the machine. I have been pleased with them, so I figured Sears would be the place to get the next one. (It also was my last hope, locally, anyway. Neither Lowe's nor Home Depot had the size I needed.)
Sears had what I needed, all right, but only in a seven piece set! I had most of the other bits in the set, so it made no sense whatsoever for me to buy the package. It was frustrating to have to choose between no bit and a bunch of duplicates. Considering the price differential, of course, I opted for no bit.
It also frustrated me that the bits were so packaged and hung that they were out of reach of my short arms. I couldn't even read the labels without assistance. Perhaps that's the store's way of deterring shoplifters, but if I can't even see what's on the shelf, I'm not buying. Sears isn't unique in that respect. Lowe's and Home Depot put their bits up high like that as well. The result is you have to hunt down a salesperson who rarely knows as much as you do. You'd think those bits cost $100 the way they keep them under lock and key most places.
This is the kind of misguided marketing that drives consumers to the internet, resulting in lost sales tax revenue for towns and lost income for brick and mortar stores. Locally, I had to drive to three stores--one of which was several miles away--and still got no satisfaction. Yet I can buy the bit I need online and probably get it with little or no shipping cost. I won't have to ask anyone for help or listen to some male store clerk talk down to me as if I don't know what I'm doing.
When will retailers understand that they have to change the way they market if they hope to compete against online merchants? Both internet and local retailers have a place and a purpose, but they have to tailor their services to meet the needs of their customer bases and each fill a niche that the other can't. Brick and mortar stores offer immediacy and personal assistance. If they are adequately stocked, have knowledgeable personnel, and are easy to navigate and reach, they will get my business when I need something quickly or need expert guidance. Online merchants offer the ability to stock a wider variety of merchandise, often more cheaply and sans sales tax, and the convenience of shopping 24-hours a day from the comfort of your home with front door drop-off shipping. Each has its advantages, but from my current vantage point, the local retailer is losing the battle for customers by ignoring its strengths--and the rapidly growing competition.
Sears had what I needed, all right, but only in a seven piece set! I had most of the other bits in the set, so it made no sense whatsoever for me to buy the package. It was frustrating to have to choose between no bit and a bunch of duplicates. Considering the price differential, of course, I opted for no bit.
It also frustrated me that the bits were so packaged and hung that they were out of reach of my short arms. I couldn't even read the labels without assistance. Perhaps that's the store's way of deterring shoplifters, but if I can't even see what's on the shelf, I'm not buying. Sears isn't unique in that respect. Lowe's and Home Depot put their bits up high like that as well. The result is you have to hunt down a salesperson who rarely knows as much as you do. You'd think those bits cost $100 the way they keep them under lock and key most places.
This is the kind of misguided marketing that drives consumers to the internet, resulting in lost sales tax revenue for towns and lost income for brick and mortar stores. Locally, I had to drive to three stores--one of which was several miles away--and still got no satisfaction. Yet I can buy the bit I need online and probably get it with little or no shipping cost. I won't have to ask anyone for help or listen to some male store clerk talk down to me as if I don't know what I'm doing.
When will retailers understand that they have to change the way they market if they hope to compete against online merchants? Both internet and local retailers have a place and a purpose, but they have to tailor their services to meet the needs of their customer bases and each fill a niche that the other can't. Brick and mortar stores offer immediacy and personal assistance. If they are adequately stocked, have knowledgeable personnel, and are easy to navigate and reach, they will get my business when I need something quickly or need expert guidance. Online merchants offer the ability to stock a wider variety of merchandise, often more cheaply and sans sales tax, and the convenience of shopping 24-hours a day from the comfort of your home with front door drop-off shipping. Each has its advantages, but from my current vantage point, the local retailer is losing the battle for customers by ignoring its strengths--and the rapidly growing competition.
posted by Tif at 10:32 PM
1 Comments:
You're kind of missing the point. I know you post covered a couple of areas but from experience I can tell you the shoplifted small things add up quickly.
I have worked in retail and have seen all kinds of scams. To you they may not seem like expensive items but add them up and you can get a few hundred dollars. Look on ebay and notice all the gift cards. Dollars to donuts many of them are from items that have been stolen and returned for store credit then the scammers get gift cards (store credit) and sell them on line. Money laundering no longer just for the mob.
Yes there is convenience to buying on line but when you get shipped the wrong item or it's broken or you are just unhappy with it or have questions what are you going to do if you don't have a real store to go to?
So many people buy stuff online from e-merchants then return it to the brick and a local 'brick and mortar' store because they are not happy with it. That was another pet peeve of mine when I was a retail monkey. Why should my store take a sales loss on returned merchandise we didn't get a sale for?
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