Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 37
LAST YEAR Future Shop introduced its “Price Beat
Promise,” that guaranteed customers that the retailer would not only match, but it would beat the price
of any other retailer—bricks and mortar or online.
“The retail business is transforming,” said Nikki
Hellyer, director of marketing. “We don’t believe that
showrooming exists here in the same way that it does
in the U.S. and we have done some very strategic plays
to make sure that it doesn’t become an issue for us.”
Some of those “plays” include bridging online
shopping and traditional retail by downsizing from
27,000 square foot stores to 5,000 square feet that
resemble high tech kiosks, closing 15 Future Shop
and Best Buy stores across Canada, throwing in free
home delivery on purchases of $20 or more, and offering customers next-day delivery to the store.
Showrooming is a buzzword that refers to the
growing number of customers who browse the wares
of traditional retailers, feel, touch and smell the merchandise, and then take out their smartphone and
price around until they find the cheapest product—
usually from an online retailer like Amazon that
doesn’t have anywhere near the same overhead.
Increased traffic, increased sales?
James Fraser, vice-president retail at Hunter
Straker, believes that rather than posing a threat,
showrooming may be doing a huge service to some
traditional bricks and mortar retailers, especially
small independent ones.
“If the practice increases in popularity and gets
the population even more active in visiting retail
outlets, the result may be increased traditional sales
simply due to increased foot traffic and the fact that
we North Americans want what we want, when we
want it,” he says.
And while big box retailers may be able to price
match, or even price slash, it’s just not an option for
a smaller retailer, at least one that has a long-term
plan. One thing that’s for sure though is mobile isn’t
going to go away. In fact, it’s helping change the face
of retailing.
The good news is that smaller retailers are in an
excellent position to embrace this trend doing what
they do best—offering exclusive product, exceptional customer service and an experience that they
can’t find in the larger impersonal stores.
Take Lululemon, for example. The term showrooming hadn’t been invented when the Vancouverbased retailer launched its first store. No one shops
at Lululemon for the price; they come for the value,
for the in-store experience and for the free alterations, free yoga classes and staff—called “educators”
who are hired for their love and knowledge of yoga,
mountain climbing, tennis, dance, etc.
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http://www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013
PUBLISHER’S DESK
RETAIL CURRENTS
EAT WELL CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE FAMILIES ABOUT HEALTHY LIVING
THE EVOLUTION OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
THE TARGET IMPACT
THE RISKS OF NEGLECTING THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
MENTORING TOMORROW’S TALENT
RECRUITING TOP TALENT FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
UNPACKING SHOWROOMING
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS IN THE CANADIAN MARKET
ADVERTISER'S INDEX
RETAIL QUICK TIPS
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - ebelly1
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - ebelly2
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - cover1
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - cover2
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 3
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - PUBLISHER’S DESK
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 5
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - RETAIL CURRENTS
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 7
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 8
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 9
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - EAT WELL CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE FAMILIES ABOUT HEALTHY LIVING
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 11
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - THE EVOLUTION OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 13
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 14
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 15
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - THE TARGET IMPACT
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 17
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 18
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 19
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 20
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 21
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - THE RISKS OF NEGLECTING THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 23
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 24
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 25
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 26
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - MENTORING TOMORROW’S TALENT
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 28
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 29
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 30
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 31
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - RECRUITING TOP TALENT FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 33
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 34
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 35
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - UNPACKING SHOWROOMING
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 37
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 38
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 39
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS IN THE CANADIAN MARKET
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 41
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 42
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 43
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 44
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - ADVERTISER'S INDEX
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - RETAIL QUICK TIPS
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 47
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 48
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 49
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 50
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