Retail Remedy

Driving Sustainable Profit Growth

January 26, 2011

Mary Queen of Shops

During the month of January, we have been reflecting the challenges that the last year has given to many of our customers and how we can help them ensure the best possible year ahead.

Undoubtedly the Economic Climate has been tough for all and yet the difference between those who have floundered and those who have flourished is about their operation, more than global financial meltdown. The Christmas reports are littered with CEO’s suggesting the weather has cost them dear and gearing up for that New Year profits warning. There are also traders who have done themselves proud and despite increasing online competition, customers who are controlling a budget and inclement weather they have delivered growth.

Our Retail Reviews are always an interesting time, where the real issues are often clouded by the Retailers long held beliefs’ and lack of customer engagement. This clouding can create a challenging time and we always come back to the customer as the main weapon in our armoury in convincing retailers of the need to change where required.

Our “Mary Queen of Shops” reviews can deliver really ground breaking changes in the way that the retailer engages with his customers and how they understand the direction they need to take. Some of the concepts are best exampled and role modelled in store whilst others need a Retail Workshop environment to get beneath the skin and make the changes needed.

We are really proud that following requests we have now just completed our Retail Workshop structure and placed our updated workshop brochure on the website. It contains all those lessons learnt over many years of Retailing and in the last year that we have applied to some of our smaller to medium sized customers. We strongly believe that planning the journey is the start and our Strategy and Planning workshops create challenge, stimulation and tools to build an effective strategy that delivers. It takes Leadership to execute strategy so that was our next logical step in workshop development; we take this seriously but having had our fill of corporate Leadership Training Courses, we cut to the chase.

Branding and Marketing is something we are often engaged to assist with and again we cut the BS out of the  Branding and Marketing workshop and tell it straight for all levels.

Good Retailing is nothing if Buying and Merchandising is not right and our workshop on this reflects the online position as well as the traditional retailing aspects, run by Retail Experts you will learn! The same Retail Experts who run our Buying course are also our best negotiators and having worked for some of the hardest negotiators in the business they will create that win / win on our Negotiation Workshop. Our Visual Merchandising Training Course reflects the experience we have within clothing, food and non-food. The most important workshop is last, where would we would be without customers? Our customer Service workshops are more than the traditional smile and say nice things stuff but a way to create true advocacy within your current and future customers, in short it is brilliant!

Mary Queen of Shops Blog

As 2010 is left behind and the first glimmer of 2011 is upon us, we were reflecting the challenges that the last year has given to many of our customers and how we can help them ensure the best possible year ahead. Undoubtedly the economic climate has been tough for all and yet the difference between those who have floundered and those who have flourished is about their operation, more than global financial meltdown. The Christmas reports are littered with CEO’s suggesting the weather has cost them dear and gearing up for that New Year profits warning. There are also traders who have done themselves proud and despite increasing online competition, customers who are controlling a budget and inclement weather they have delivered growth.

Our retail reviews are always an interesting time, where the real issues are often clouded by the retailers long held beliefs’ and lack of customer engagement. This clouding can create a challenging time and we always come back to the customer as the main weapon in our armoury in convincing retailers of the need to change where required. Our “Mary Queen of Shops” reviews can deliver really ground breaking changes in the way that the retailer engages with his customers and how they understand the direction they need to take. Some of the concepts are best exampled and role modelled in store whilst others need a workshop environment to get beneath the skin and make the changes needed.

We are really proud that following requests we have now just completed our workshop structure and placed our updated workshop brochure on the website. It contains all those lessons learnt over many years of retailing and in the last year that we have applied to some of our smaller to medium sized customers. We strongly believe that planning the journey is the start and our Strategy and Planning workshops create challenge, stimulation and tools to build an effective strategy that delivers. It takes Leadership to execute strategy so that was our next logical step in workshop development; we take this seriously but having had our fill of corporate leadership courses, we cut to the chase. Branding and Marketing is something we are often engaged to assist with and again we cut the BS out of the Branding and Marketing workshop and tell it straight for all levels. Good retailing is nothing if not good Buying and Merchandising and our worksh

Mary Queen of Shops Blog

As 2010 is left behind and the first glimmer of 2011 is upon us, we were reflecting the challenges that the last year has given to many of our customers and how we can help them ensure the best possible year ahead. Undoubtedly the economic climate has been tough for all and yet the difference between those who have floundered and those who have flourished is about their operation, more than global financial meltdown. The Christmas reports are littered with CEO’s suggesting the weather has cost them dear and gearing up for that New Year profits warning. There are also traders who have done themselves proud and despite increasing online competition, customers who are controlling a budget and inclement weather they have delivered growth.

Our retail reviews are always an interesting time, where the real issues are often clouded by the retailers long held beliefs’ and lack of customer engagement. This clouding can create a challenging time and we always come back to the customer as the main weapon in our armoury in convincing retailers of the need to change where required. Our “Mary Queen of Shops” reviews can deliver really ground breaking changes in the way that the retailer engages with his customers and how they understand the direction they need to take. Some of the concepts are best exampled and role modelled in store whilst others need a workshop environment to get beneath the skin and make the changes needed.

We are really proud that following requests we have now just completed our workshop structure and placed our updated workshop brochure on the website. It contains all those lessons learnt over many years of retailing and in the last year that we have applied to some of our smaller to medium sized customers. We strongly believe that planning the journey is the start and our Strategy and Planning workshops create challenge, stimulation and tools to build an effective strategy that delivers. It takes Leadership to execute strategy so that was our next logical step in workshop development; we take this seriously but having had our fill of corporate leadership courses, we cut to the chase. Branding and Marketing is something we are often engaged to assist with and again we cut the BS out of the  Branding and Marketing workshop and tell it straight for all levels. Good retailing is nothing if not good Buying and Merchandising and our workshop on this reflects the online position as well as the traditional retailing aspects, run by experts you will learn! The same experts who run our Buying course are also our best negotiators and having worked for some of the hardest negotiators in the business they will create that win / win on our Negotiation workshop. Our Visual Merchandising course reflects the experience we have within clothing, food and non-food. The most important workshop is last, where would we would be without customers? Our customer Service workshops are more than the traditional smile and say nice things stuff but a way to create true advocacy within your current and future customers, in short it is brilliant!

op on this reflects the online position as well as the traditional retailing aspects, run by experts you will learn! The same experts who run our Buying course are also our best negotiators and having worked for some of the hardest negotiators in the business they will create that win / win on our Negotiation workshop. Our Visual Merchandising course reflects the experience we have within clothing, food and non-food. The most important workshop is last, where would we would be without customers? Our customer Service workshops are more than the traditional smile and say nice things stuff but a way to create true advocacy within your current and future customers, in short it is brilliant!

January 11, 2011

Objective Strategy

Of all the overused and misunderstood terms there is little doubt that Strategy is the most often quoted. Retail-Remedy has worked with some large retailers who surprisingly would not be able to articulate their Strategy but have merely fallen into the business path on which they tread. Red faces have followed questions about the direction and they only get redder when asked about the customer imperatives that have guided that direction. Yet in truth Strategy should be one of the easiest things to do in business, small businesses started usually in a response to a perceived need, understanding the continuance and evolution of that need is fundamentally what Retail Strategy is.

In a recent magazine article for Furniture News (Retail Strategy) we articulated the need to have Strategy agreed, with the key stakeholders taking responsibility to ensure that the picture painted of the goal is exactly the same for all concerned. Too often the goal is one persons dream and another person’s half dream or nightmare. For small businesses, without Non-Executive Directorship, this requires an objectivity that comes from a business consultant or trusted advisor. We suggest that this is an important choice as the person selected must be able to be objective, challenging and fearless. If they feel that gainsaying the perceived wisdom in the room will jeopardise their position, key arguments will be lost and the Strategy will evolve weaker.

When the Strategy word is used and you see your colleagues eyes roll to the back of their head and a flop sweat develop on the business leader, then look around the room and determine who will be the brave person who says the emperor has no clothes. If you cannot see that person and are willing to challenge why he is not there, then look no further he has been found, it is you !

June 6, 2010

Consumers and the Brand

After a retail strategy meeting, we sat Phil Dorrell down and asked him for his take on consumers’ focus on brand.

More and more, consumers look to the brand and its brand values for reassurance as to quality, security and value for money. Consumer spending will focus on ‘reason to buy’, not ‘impulse to buy’. The brand is the key element in the purchasing decision.

Brand awareness is desperately important but it’s not the whole story – in the States, everyone knows General Motors, trouble is no-one is buying their cars! Consumers are responding to brand differentiation – attaching meaning and value to the brand to increase its weight in the purchasing decision. Brands need to stand for something; they cannot afford to be vague in their offer. Developing brand differentiation is the key to improving long-term sales growth and customer advocacy.

So, Phil, how do we achieve brand differentiation?

The landscape for any brand tends to be misted over with a cloud of generic features claimed and owned by all players. To rise above this cloud means convincing the consumer that you are different from the crowd, that your offering is the one to meet their requirement or their hopes.

You can’t just add statements of value to your marketing – if you make any statement about your offering, they have to be believable and authentic. Consumers are becoming ever more sophisticated and see through insincere claims and inappropriate endorsements. Any retail strategy has to be built on recognising that consumer engagement only comes with authenticity – and engagement is the key to sales. Brand building is a precious endeavour and Companies need to ensure that nobody in the organisation delivers less than the brand values, consistent delivery is essential.

If that’s the case, how do we deliver ‘authenticity’?

Do you mean ‘we’ as in retailers or retail consultants? Be specific about what you deliver and make sure all the people in your organisation support this 100%. The amount of web-sites now offering no differentiation between one retailer and another suggest everybody is playing too safe and there is definitely space for some bolder claims.

New technology is now not only the product, it is the medium as well! The online experience is less and less under the control of retailers or corporations, the market now exists as a series of communities. Social networking, Ebay, business networks all present massive opportunities – especially if you can gain endorsement from the community itself, recommending the brand. Ignoring or misusing these markets and the way they operate cuts off the blood supply to the brand. Twitter users will spend more money on the internet than non-users. We (now I really mean retail consultants!) need to show retailers how to integrate this customer orientation into every aspect of brand building and customer care – then we can strengthen and lead brands into the future.

So, how should Retail Marketeers respond to these challenges?

Retailers need to deliver on three main areas in order to capitalise on the changes that the internet offers:

  • How clear is the brand differentiation and how consistent is this delivered? What is the brand promise?
  • What platform is most effective to your current and future customers?
  • How does the brand promise get delivered in the real world and what is the buy-in from the front line customer service staff?

I would urge retailers to be bold, get buy-in and build a brand that stands out to your customers!

September 13, 2009

India’s retail issues ….. An interview with the CEO of Costa Coffee India – published in this months RLI

India’s food and grocery retail infancy has not been without it’s teething problems. James McGregor, Director or Retail-Remedy interviews Santhosh Uni, CEO of Costa Coffee (INDIA), to find out more…

costa-interview3