With the demise of Jessops and the future of yet another retail stalwart (HMV) hanging in the balance the picture for our high streets looks bleaker than ever. Whilst it would be easy to blame the likes of Amazon and Ebay for providing customers what they want at lesser prices than bricks and mortar (b&m) retailers, traditional retail operators should also look to their own business models and, in particular, the constant need to adapt and change in accordance with customer's demands and expectations to tackle the online onslaught. We're all guilty of supporting Amazon and Ebay, helping their growth to the
behemoths we see today but that wouldn't have necessarily happened if b&m
retailers had been more competitive in the first place (easy to say I
know when pure online operations don't have the rent/rates/staff etc overhead).
Competition isn't always measured on price, though. Whilst price is the key governing factor in the decision to purchase, traditional retailers offer one thing which their digital counterparts don't - face to face customer contact and personal service - and with that comes the opportunity to offer an exceptional customer experience and seize a sale. The fact remains that a lot of the larger retailers have failed to adapt to the digital age, resulting in their ultimate downfall.
My own experience this weekend exemplifies this. I walked into my local HMV to purchase a list of 15 cds for store music (I won't digital download because of the inflexibility of using on various systems, iTunes monopoly and an old fashioned need to have something physical to hold onto). Working my way through the list I managed to find a grand total of zero - zilch, nothing, not one of them. There was nothing particularly obscure on the list - a bit of Stevie Wonder, Camera Obscura, She & Him, The Shins. I tried to ask a member of staff - none available.
We should all reflect. Purchasing online is easy, sometimes cheaper, invariably convenient and can be done in the comfort of our own homes - all great stuff - but at what price? Your local supplier/ b&m retailer is part of your local economy, brings jobs and careers to the community, animation to the high street and, above all, keeps it local. If we don't support local retailers what will our high streets look like in 10 years? The only commodity you can't buy online is the leisure experience of a cup of coffee or a meal/drink out (there are others I know). Do we really want our streets to merely consists of coffee shops, cafes and restaurants? Whilst these bring their own unique dimension to our shopping experience the tapestry of any street is enriched by a variety of retail offers, without which shopping would be a bland affair.
As an independent retailer we are small enough to be able to adapt to the changing retail scene and react accordingly. We're still growing and opening a further two b&m stores this year - underpinned by our online offer - but we're never complacent or take anything for granted. and work for every sale we achieve. We invest as much time and money in our online offer as we do in our stores. My main message to every b&m retailer and customer is this - before giving in to online, give b&m shops a chance. If you've seen it online cheaper, tell them and show them the website! I'll let you into a secret - invariably big name brands (I won't name them) ask retailers, as part of their trade agreement, to sell at a recommended retail price (rrp) - especially online where the whole world can compare prices. Brands don't like to see this - they want a fair playing field and it just causes them hassle but how they enforce this is 'difficult'. Whilst price fixing is 'illegal' these brands can make it difficult for retailers to sell at less than rrp, particularly online. They may have little jurisdiction over Amazon etc but they can make it awkward for smaller retailers by making supply 'sticky', saying items are 'out of stock' etc if they don't play ball and sell online at rrp. However, what the retailer does over the phone or instore is entirely up to him - so ask. If you don't ask you don't get - and besides anything else, you're doing your bit for your community and local economy. It's all very well protesting about Amazon, Ebay and the taxes they don't pay but it's up to us all as consumers to vote with our feet and support our local stores, particularly if they deliver so well on service too. They, and we, have our own U.S.P - people - and let's not forget this is a service industry where the brightest will shine if they consistentlygive the best.
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