Earlier this month I was honoured to be invited to give an after dinner speech for a joint meeting of the Ascot Tangent and Ascot 41 Clubs on the subject of ‘The Death of the Highstreet’.
The talk inspired a lot of passion, with reaction to some of the topics discussed inspiring me to write this blog. Why? Well, the audience were aged from 48-80+, with high disposable income that they wanted to spend on the Highstreet. However, like many of us, they had been spending less and less in store.
The two themes of the presentation that resonated most strongly with the audience were:
1. The Rise of Online Shopping
Most of the audience were buying more and more items online, rather than in store. The benefits of convenience and ability to compare prices were just as relevant for this demographic as they are for everyone else. In fact, one even admitted to ‘Ghost Shopping’ when they found the exact same item online, from the store they were physically in at the time, but it was cheaper. So they ordered it, and picked it up straight away. It does beg the question on why the retailer was selling the same item at different prices instore and online – the savvy consumer nowadays is going to spot this and take advantage of it. It also reminds us that technology is not just for the young, retailers need to realise that people of all generations have access to the internet and will continue to spend online, unless suitably encouraged. Which leads us to the second theme…
2. Providing a Personal and Professional Customer Service
Customer service was the one thing that the audience valued the most. They preferred shopping in stores that are known to have good customer service, and become very unhappy when the store does not meet their expectations. The standard of excellence here is, without doubt, the local hardware store. The manager in the store was always willing and able to help with any enquiries. They are happy to give both the time and the consideration needed to identify the right product for the individual. However, at the other end of the scale, one attendee told me that they wanted to buy a gadget over the Christmas period. In the first store they went to the assistant assumed, due to their age, they would not know anything about the technology and handled the interaction in a patronising way. The customer ended up leaving and buying elsewhere. In fact, reaction to age was commented on by several people. The feeling was that all of the focus nowadays seemed to be on Millennials, and that people of their age groups were ignored, both in terms of service and product offering. Is the Highstreet missing out by focussing time and energy on a generation who have self-declared lower discretionary income?
If you’re interested to hear more about how to connect with your customers, whatever they’re generation, get in touch. Samantha@directions.uk.com
