Canadian Retailer - Holiday 2013 - 46

RETAIL QUICK TIPS

Did you know that you can build a loyal
customer relationship by following three
simple design steps?
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MILLER ZELL
YOUR relationship with your customer is the most important asset you have in your business. There have
been significant advancements in technology that have given you an abundance of channels to communicate
and nurture that relationship; whether it is through social media or your own website. Best in class retailers,
however, do not limit their relationship building to these new technologies. Instead, they leverage their brick
and mortar locations to nurture and develop their relationships with their customers.
We have broken down the design steps into three simple elements that allow you to build a stronger and
longer lasting relationship with your shoppers; these elements are Attract, Engage and Educate.

ATTRACT

The laws of attraction state that "like things attract",
and most of us know that if something looks good, it is
more likely to get your attention. Having an attractive
storefront is the ﬁrst physical interaction your shoppers will experience with you. And, depending on your
objectives, this presents an opportunity to appeal to a
variety of senses and evoke an emotional response from
the customer. By appealing to as many of the ﬁve senses
as possible, you can interrupt a shopper's behavior and
get them to notice your storefront. With new shoppers,
you're hoping you've designed a storefront that inspires
"love at ﬁrst sight", and for returning shoppers, you want
to "rekindle that romance".
EDUCATE

Now that you have your shopper's attention and have
been able to engage them, it is important to extend that
engagement phase into education. Create environments
where shoppers can tell their story, or share an experience to give you the clues as to what types of products or
services they may be shopping for. You can use this interaction to provide suggestions that ﬁt their needs, wants,
or desires. It is important not to "hard sell" shoppers, but
rather educate them on how your products or services will
make their life easier and provide them with conﬁdence.
An educated shopper will become a loyal shopper; which
is one of the most valuable gifts a retailer can ask for.

ENGAGE

Once you're able to get your
shopper to look up from their
smartphone, you need to ﬁnd
ways to engage them. You may
continue to appeal to their senses,
or have one of your friendly staff
greet them and make them feel
welcome. Remember, you are trying to nurture a relationship with
them, and the every step of the
journey your shoppers take from
the moment they see your store
to the moment they check out is
important. Toy stores do a remarkable job at placing toys at the front
of the store that are "out of the
box" so children (and adults) can
engage with them. This allows
you to create those "Big Experiences" similar to the keyboard
Tom Hanks played in the movie
"Big". Food sampling kiosks also
engage, especially around meal
times. A memorable experience
provides your shoppers with a
sense of joy and allows them to
sample your products or services
at a low risk, which is a cornerstone to a trusting relationship.

3 Simple Steps

These three basic steps; Attract, Engage and Educate, are designed to help focus how your relationship is
built with your customer. By executing these steps, retailers can create an environment that allows their shoppers and store staff to nurture loyal connections.
Miller Zell helps retailers design and execute engaging relationships. If you are interested in learning more about
how to create your own "Big Experiences" contact Doug Foley at doug.foley@millerzell.com or 647-801-3476.
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Canadian Retailer - Holiday 2013

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