Mobile Marketing a Must – Why You Can’t Ignore this Growing Trend

The idea of mobile marketing is not new – in fact, it is safe to say that it has definitely arrived and is thriving. Today’s consumer is smarter, more tech savvy, and better connected than ever, and as a result retailers can no longer ignore the fact that people do rely heavily on smartphones and tablets – even when it comes to shopping. 

Don’t just take our word for it. According to a study done by the Canadian government, 79% of Canadian households have internet access, and 74% of these use the internet to find products and services online. But this is just at home – what about mobile? A recent IBM study took an in depth look at mobile marketing and found that, as of August 2012, mobile shopping accounted for almost 20% of all online sales. This is up 300% from the same time last year. 

And people respond well to mobile. The same IBM study found that 43% of Canadians are in favour of receiving coupons on their phone, while 69% research products and 1 in 5 conduct shopping online from a mobile device.

In the CPG industry, these numbers may seem a bit high, and perhaps they are, especially since these studies focused on several different retail industries as a whole.  Even today, most people conduct their CPG shopping in-store, meaning that online sales for CPG are typically much smaller in number – but product research or price matching is still a priority for smartphone users. Ignoring the trend outright and assuming that just because most CPG purchasing is done in-store is a bad idea all around.

Still not jumping on the mobile bandwagon? If mobile isn’t in your future, are you going to get stuck at the back of the pack? It probably isn’t the best marketing strategy, but if you are still not convinced that mobile marketing makes a difference, what can you do to try and combat the influence of it? The best way is to ensure that customers receive the same service levels in-store that they receive online. Shopping online usually means no line-ups, the ability to view and purchase items immediately or see when they are not in stock. This means that you have to work hard to provide the same service: well stocked shelves, enough floor coverage to prevent a back-up at the cash register and enough people support to ensure things are well organized and tidy on the sales floor.

As we said, mobile marketing is here for the long haul, and the impacts will continue to either positively or negatively impact your bottom line depending on how to adapt to technological changes. But whatever you do, don’t ignore this trend completely – just because you put it out of your mind doesn’t mean that it is going to disappear.

Need some help dealing with the mobile marketing movement? Contact Storesupport today at 1-877-421-5081.

Managing Product Recalls: What You Need To Know!

What happens when your product is found to have traces of Salmonella or undeclared allergens? Typically, when listing a product at retail, such issues as these are one of the farthest things from your mind, but they do happen, and relatively often. The result: voluntary (or in some cases involuntary) product recalls that can cost your company a lot more than just money! Take a look at this very brief list of some of the many CPG recalls that have taken place in the last few weeks: 

a.      Undeclared soy in certain Christie brand Rice Thins

b.      Certain Fresh Sprouts brand Fresh Bean Sprouts recalled

c.      Undeclared gluten in certain Bob's Red Mill brand Sweet White Sorghum Flour

d.      Certain Canada Garden brand Tahini recalled cue to traces of Salmonella found

e.      Undeclared sulphites in certain Blue Marsh Farm & Kitchen brand jams and jellies

These brands are all well known, and so demonstrate that product recalls can happen to any company, big or small. And these can become big issues with resounding impacts, no? In today’s competitive retail environment, the management of product recalls can make or break a brand’s reputation, so careful management of the situation is critical.

Costs and impacts of a product recall: resources need to be allocated for the removal of all recalled product. This leads to empty shelves that then need to be refilled with product that is safe. These can both represent a significant cost to a brand – one that needs to be mitigated by any means. Brand reputation can also be impacted, so ensuring concerns are fixed in a timely fashion helps to safeguard against any negative feedback.

How do you manage a product recall to ensure continued brand recognition and customer loyalty? The simple answer: as quickly as possible. And this doesn’t just mean taking recalled product from the shelf – although this is crucial – it also means restocking those empty shelves ASAP. After all, if your product isn’t on the shelves for customers to purchase, they are inevitably going to go for something else. Furthermore, the quicker the response, the more exposure is contained – a definite plus.

Product recalls can be a major pain, and if they are not managed properly the results can be disastrous. Make sure that you work to maintain a positive brand image and keep costs associated with these unfortunate issues at a minimum.

Facing an emergency product recall? Storesupport has the resources to help you overcome it quickly and effectively, at a significant cost savings. Contact us today at 1-877-421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca.

Taking Control of Your Retail Management

Successful retail management, or the control of your brand at a retail location, is crucial for success. Meeting your customers’ needs and wants is one of the major ways to increase both your bottom line and customer retention and brand loyalty. But what does this include? What are we talking about as far as retail management? 

Firstly, what do we mean by retail management? Well, simply, the management of your brand. When you rely on a retailer for everything from stocking/restocking shelves to pricing you have to be sure that they are meeting your expectations. In order to retain as much control as possible in a situation such as this, knowing what is going on in-store is vital. This is a key component – make sure that you are able to keep tabs on what is going on on the ground.

Another important aspect of retail management is distribution resource planning. This includes establishing inventory control parameters to measure inventory requirements over time. When you rely on a retailer, you have to make sure that your product is on the shelf, otherwise it isn’t going to sell. There are many factors requiring attention when it comes to this planning, including on-hand inventory, back-ordered demand of a product, required quantity of a product, and constrained quantity of a product. Keeping on top of these will help ensure that your stock is where it should be, when it should be there.

When your retail management is effective, this in turn positively impacts your customer retention and brand reputation. For example, what if a consumer enters a store intent on purchasing your product but then cannot locate it in-store or it is not stocked on the shelf. Instead of asking an employee they may choose your competitor’s product. What if they like your customer’s product just as much as they like yours? Or what if they feel it offers the same quality at a lower price? Companies lose, on average, 20% of their customer base annually, and this is one of the ways that this comes to pass.

Yet another important factor in effective retail management: social media community management. When you take advantage of the many benefits offered by social media, you also have to be aware of the impacts that this can have. Setting up a Facebook page and developing a following, only to ignore it once this has been accomplished, can be problematic.  Complaints going unanswered or a loss of interest will reflect poorly on your brand. Keep up with what is going on online. Treat complaints as a gift – if you respond to customer concerns it shows an awareness and interest and a commitment to making things better.  

Be smart about your retail management – make sure that you are always aware of what is going on in-store.  Want some help accomplishing this? Storesupport has you covered – contact us today at 1-877-421-5081.

Retail Inventory Management: Store Closing Dos and Don’ts

Whether for relocation or consolidation, or whatever the reason may be, stores close all the time. But far too many stores go about it in a way that can have negative, and lasting, effects overall. Overseeing and executing a store closing properly can be difficult, but it is vital to both brand image and customer loyalty that things are done right, right from the start.  Here are some things to think about: 

 

Managing timelines is crucial. Make sure that you get your inventory in order, think about a discounting plan, come up with solutions for liquidation (if necessary). Keep in mind your deadline for getting out of the building and make sure that racks are down and the store is clean on time. Store managers often underestimate the amount of work and time involved with store closings, so set a schedule and stick to it.  Skill matters – if you are thinking about a temp agency, this is generally the worst choice, so make sure to do your research.

Managing inventory. Keeping the stores as well stocked as possible is essential – product won’t sell from the stockroom. Sales are a great incentive to see product movement. If the shelves are empty when customers come in looking for sale items, but those products are in the back, they may not ask for them and just forget the purchase altogether. Devise a plan for shipping inventory to other locations, and ensure that you have the manpower to see this task completed. The store should remain customer-friendly up until the last day, so ensure that procedures remain in place and followed.

Keep customers happy – the brand relies on this. The perception of the store/brand needs to remain high, so maintaining your image is important. Decreased inventory can negatively impact customer experience, so try to ensure that other aspects of the customer experience do not suffer as well. 

Employee morale plays a big role in managing store closings. When employees stop caring, their performance levels decrease and providing high levels of service becomes a minor priority (if a priority at all). And then they start leaving. Having a contingency plan in place in key. Make sure to keep the communication levels at a high – make sure they know that the store is closing, but the company is not. If there are other stores in the area, try to get them transferred. Try to help them see the big picture. 

If a store closing is in your future, think about the many different aspects that work to ensure the retention of a positive brand image. Manage your closing appropriately using these strategies.

For more about closing a retail location and how to avoid disaster, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca.