Murder on the shop floor

November 12, 2008
by Latitude

But perhaps all is not well in Santa Grotto for some - the changing patterns of shopper behaviour and the credit crunch, now according to Mervin King a recession means that to add to the annual - who will weaken first breath holding competition between canny consumers and the beleaguered retailers - shoppers are also going to start looking earlier, longer and researching more on the web. Add to that the fact that they intend to spend less and they will haggle even when they do spend and the fact that Chinese production is affected along with everyone else by commodity prices, it seems it’s going to be a tinsel free time for some.

Then, just as you think it maybe okay to hang up your stocking and wait expectantly for sales, because you’ve been a good little reatiler, there’s additional elves joining the e-tail / brick & click Christmas landscape- Cdiscount a powerful European brand is launching in the UK just in time for the annual greed fest – and is deliberately targeting some of our more traditional brands. Asda seems to have been swift in moving from a catalogue based idea to online becoming the second biggest online brand just at a time when many are “downsizing” their baskets to their demographic and Ocado join in the online pressie scramble now offering toys .

Finally, just to rub some salt in the wounds (non toxic suitable for all ages) the “R” comes along and Iceland becomes worth a bit less then LlanfairPG and the mighty Bauger who own a far chunk of the UK high-street brick & click estate start to feel that the Xmas decorations may not be as shiny as once they thought, Pick and Mix that with the fact that more people believe in St Nicholas than Woolies business model and it all seems a bit like aunties attempt at Saturday Night Fever during the obligatory post luncheon family charades; a bit scary and very ill advised in front of the children/ dogs. Enough gloom to make your M&S sexy, free range, gently filleted turkey (with giblets) stick in your crop.

So why we at Latitude are smiling with our Port and Stilton, have we had too much sherry trifle or perhaps we think this is an opportunity. Seek out those key phrases amongst the angst: customers will search about more, will look to compare prices, will look online before or instead of going in store for the best deals and the plain fact that even if the virtual market is becoming crowded some of the biggest names in retailing think it’s the place to be!

It’s a chance for the bold to really understand their customers’ needs and keep them in 09 come the post Chrimble diet you’re going to need them!. Great online work leads to real in-depth understanding of your target audiences changing behaviours and needs (on and off line), you’re going to need an edge and an ability to be swift, something that traditional methods to market can not always offer. In this new world loyalty, speed and insight are key – ignorance is not bliss (unlike the ad outside my village for Happy Golden Turkeys- they are only happy because they’ve no calendars).

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