Well if the BBC is to be believed then we surely are. The high street is failing! Well? It has been for ages since the nouveau on-line boom, but most major high street retailers now take advantage of the on-line world.
Through the looking glass of a small trader, things seem a little slower, but this is typical as we all unconsciously save our pennies after the holiday splurge to cover Christmas.
Purses will be tight, so only the smartest retailers will hit it big this festive season. Things have already hotted up for the costume sellers, with Halloween around the corner. Remember last years advice on looking at your statistics and getting ready for Christmas early?
The theory still applies my friends, you should be better equipped this time!
- Gearing up for Xmas 2007 - What to do in October…
- Christmas Marketing - What to do in November
- Cyber Monday - The Start of the Festive Online Shopping and December Marketing
but what IS new this year? What has changed in the shopping habits of the masses? This is something that no one can really predict, but if you think of the themes for this year:
-Global Warming. Kinda overtaken by the rise in energy costs, but it all has a green theme. If you are into selling stuff that plugs in or runs on black gold, make sure the energy/fuel rating is the BEST. The government has been brainwashing the public to purchase the most energy efficient appliances. Their spies are everywhere, you can bet it has worked.
-Value. Everything is about VALUE and not necessarily price. Make sure your unique value proposition is out there and visible. Many websites and auction sites now come equipped with moving pictures (video for those out of the 1920’s) including eBay. Nothing like a short film to show that your product is fit for purpose. Better still, uploaded it to Utube, you might start a viral marketing cult.
-Timing. In the next 7-8 days millions of British tax payers get a pseudo extra £60, (£60 of tax relief) and will be hell bound to spend it. Are your auctions and ads running in anticipation?
-Innovation. For some reason innovative products and services are hot this year. I suppose, if you have limited funds you spend it on something interesting. I mean, who’d a thought the wii with it’s Atari graphics would be a success?
-Interaction. Interactive marketing is hot. Engaging the customer and combining the off-line and on-line. Use off-line media to drive your on-line sales. Use opportunities to sponsor, do charitable work all in the name of love…and money.
-Train. Train your employees to cross sell, up sell and be honest. If you can’t sell the customer what they want, don’t ruin your reputation by hard selling. An item brought not fit for purpose will be a thorn in your side. Training your staff can motivate and bring value to the company. My enterprise has only one other and he has just passed his ‘Design and the web’ short course with the Open University. Now he is a more tailored web user and better understands the world I have thrust him into.
-Export. For the first time in ages the pound has dropped and we can export again. The rest of the world can afford our stuff now! So our economy is fading, lets hang on to someone else’s.
