The Guildhall, adjacent to Leicester Cathedral is an iconic building built in 1390.  Over the centuries it has been used for many purposes, including Court room, cells, local library (one of the first in the country) and local police station (one of the first in the country).  The decision by Leicester City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, to temporarily house the Richard III museum here, is likely to become the Guildhall’s most notable use this century.

Richard III is intended to be buried at the Cathedral and a dedicated visitor centre built for him later this year (2013).  In the meantime, the insatiable appetite for Richard III will be satisfied at the Guildhall.  Leicester City Council have created an exciting exhibit of the search for Richard III, including touch screens and the use of technology.  The exhibit is relatively small, but will no doubt be of interest to many.

http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/leicester-city-museums/exhibitions/richardiii/

Getting the Guildhall ready to capitalise on the influx of Richard III visitors was the job of Corin Birchall from Kerching Retail.  As part of a county wide project to improve the commerciality and sustainability of museums and attractions across Leicester, funded by the Arts Council, Kerching retail looked at the Guildhall’s retail offering and examined all current and potential sources of income for this historic and landmark building in Leicester city centre.  Although the King’s exhibit will generate a lot of interest now, the longer term sustainability of the museum needs to be considered.

Kerching Managing Director explains “The decision to host the Richard 3rd museum at the Guildhall in Leicester, has created an unprecedented opportunity to generate income for this historic site, with traffic numbers expected to be far greater than typical visitor numbers.  This is only short-term however.  The job is to use this increase in visitor numbers to highlight the Guildhall’s rich offering as well.  The Guildhall is a real treasure for Leicester, including many uses of note”:

• One of the countries first police stations
• One of the countries first libraries
• Cell block, occupied by James Cook (one of the last reported use of Gibbet in UK) 

These treasures of our history are preserved so well, since the extensive renovation in the 1920′s.

Our job was to help the terrific staff at the Guildhall engage visitors, tell stories, share the history and bring it to life – enticing people to seek out more.  We have seen the Richard III dig bring history to life again, this is the role of staff in a museum, on a daily basis.  ”Did you know you can get married here?” “Did you know we have regular music events here?”  The Guildhall offers so much more than most Leicester visitors and residents are aware of.  We looked at retail theatre, visual merchandising, the use of music, scent and touch in a retail display.  The greater emphasis was on what the staff did and said to visitors.

There are clearly retail opportunities for Richard III merchandise, so that visitors can take home souvenirs from their visit.  The role of staff here is not to force it on people, (anyone for a Galaxy bar at the WHSmith counter!!) but highlight its benefits.  Three books of Richard III are available in the shop, staff have been encouraged to read these and look for opportunities to introduce the biographies as visitors ask relevant questions about the King.  Similarly, souvenir letter knife swords, pendants and pocket money takeaways need to be demonstrated and made to look relevant and exciting.

 Kerching Retail are excited and proud to play a part in this historic find, and help worthy organisations benefit from the public interest.

Are you a museum or retail outlet?

If you are a museum or retail outlet and think you could benefit from Kerching Retail reviewing your retail or commercial offering, please get in touch today.

Tel: 01455 203 206

Email: info@kerchingretail.com

Other projects Kerching Retail have been involved in include: Preparing Stratford, London retailers for the 2012 Olympics. 

Who are Kerching Retail?

Kerching – Making your till ring, are a retail consultancy dedicated to helping Retailing operations increase their turnover, profitably.

We are a small consultancy, with big clients across many sectors of specialist retail.  We are currently working with Leicestershire County Council, Roland UK, Leicester Shire Promotions, Wellingborough BID, North Kesteven Council, Broxtowe Borough Council, Newham Borough Council – London (Stratford City) to help retailers on their patch.  We have a pragmatic approach and appreciate their isn’t much money around for promotions and advertising – so we have to be creative.  We create money to reinvest, by focusing on displays, layout, windows and other areas that don’t involve spending money.

We are not happy until we have successfully increased your turnover.

Feel free to get in touch and have a chat about how we can help.

We are big fans of Auto responders and the effortless way in which they can be working in the background for you, but which provider is the best value for money.  Whilst reviewing the main players recently, we decided to pull together the prices to make easy comparison.  Note the Dollar to UK prices are based on 6th Nov currency rate of $1.6 to £1.  Also note that all providers offer a discount if you pay 12 months in advance – we have compared the monthly subscriber rates.

NB: First part of the table includes $USD (blue) and £UK (Black).

 Each service provider has its fans, the functionality across all is comparable – with unlimited emails available across all providers.

API to integrate into website forms, membership functionality is supported across most providers too, so little to separate them across price and features.  We’ve chosen iContact, but always take a second look at Mailchimp, as its hot lead feature seems very cool!

Let us know what you think.

In our feature on increasing turnover, getting your existing customers to shop with you more often is one of the three key tools you have at your disposal.

We have categorised some ideas around customer loyalty to get customers back into your store, under one of three tips.  

Tip #1 – Consider each transaction for its true value

When a customer first makes the decision to visit your business or shop at your store, the value of the initial transaction far exceeds the price of the service or product which you are selling.  The true value of an initial transaction is that it enables you to begin to establish a relationship with your new customer and that is why you should ensure that the first impression you make is a good one.  

Handle your first-time clients with a very high degree of care.  Be sure that your place of business or webpage is professionally designed with the customer in mind.  If other members of your staff will be communicating with first-time clients, ensure that they have received proper customer service training to ensure that they are well versed in providing top-notch customer care, and at making customers feel like valued patrons.

Do not view a transaction as ‘finished’ once money has exchanged hands.  Be sure to be responsive, and provide each customer with any necessary support or after-care. If a customer has concerns or complaints be sure to actively listen to their comments, so you can choose the proper response and leave the customer with an overall positive impression of your company.

Even if you do not hear from the customer after the transaction, be sure to follow-up with the customer.  Do not simply send a generic email message, personalize the message to the specific customer and transaction, so they know that you remember who you are, and can see that you truly care about their level of satisfaction.  By providing the best possible level of customer service before, during, and after a transaction, you can greatly increase the potential of receiving repeat business or referrals from your previous customers.

Tip #2 – Build a Client Book to use to communicate with previous clients

If you do not currently keep a client book with contact information for all of your clients, now is a great time to start.  You can begin by going through your documentation of past transactions, and compiling a list of all of the customers you have contact information for.  You most likely have more information than you think!  If you have been in business for a while, this project may take a great deal of time, so consider delegating the task to a dedicated customer relationship management (CRM) or data collection professional.  Such professionals can speed up the process greatly if you are looking for fast results.

The entry for each client should ideally include (at a minimum): (1) customer name, (2) telephone number and email address, (3) mailing address, (4) details of the transaction, and (5) a brief demographic description of the individual.

Do not ‘spam’ your previous clients with messages.  Instead, find creative ways to engage them in conversation.  For example, you can send press releases to inform past clients of new products or services you are offering, or you can send information on future sales or discounts.  Another great option is to offer them the chance to take part in a poll, enter a contest or fill out form to review and rate their experience with your business.  If you have established a relationship with the customer, inquire as to their well-being to show that your business cares about them as a person and views them as a valued client.  You can also reward your best customers with unique and special incentives like tickets to a concert or a sporting event, or reward them by offering them a special discount coupon or code designed for your very best clients.  

Tip #3 Reputation management is important!

In today’s market, consumers are able to influence others through their comments and reviews regarding businesses and products.  If you do not have a website, get one!  At the very least, create a mobile website.  So many people are using their mobile phones to locate products and services and to read reviews about various business and products.  The easier you are to find via a local search, the more highly trusted your name and brand will become.  Plus, if a past client comes upon your new website when performing a search for products and services you provide, they may decide to return to your business once again. 

Even if you do not have a website for your business, your name may be out there.  The first thing you need to do listen.  Find out what your previous customers are saying about you.  If you are not sure how to accomplish this, an internet marketing professional can greatly simplify the process for you, so be sure to enlist the help of a specialist if you need it.  Have you ever heard the saying that no press is bad press?  That rings true when it comes to the world of online reviews.  If customers are only praising your business, that’s great!  However, if you find negative comments or reviews, do not think of them as problematic.  Instead, consider these comments as an opportunity to show how your company responds to customer concerns with grace and professionalism.  You should manage your reputation, not leave it to chance.

Establishing your own website with a forum is a great way to keep an eye on what people have to say about your business.  You can also devote a page to an online newsletter, so that you can keep the community informed of new products or services, and any community involvement or charitable events pertaining to your business.  If possible, connect with your customers via social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  Again, this is a task you can delegate to a dedicated social media marketing professional.  

Marketing and advertising campaigns that are designed to reach out to consumers and generate new leads can be extremely costly.  If you wish to increase your profit margins with new business, you should know that new leads are not the only way.  Your previous and current customers a great potential source of future revenue.  By using these tips, you are sure receive more repeat customers in the future.  Here’s to your success!

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There are many different online shopper personality types, or behavioral characteristics of shoppers.  Each has certain traits, and skillful marketing professionals stress the importance of learning each type in order to design a shopping services that are attractive to members of each type or customer segment.  Because of the large number of online retailers, online shoppers need to be wooed with an online shopping experience that is tailored to their specific online shopping personality type, so they do not look elsewhere for their purchases.  The following is a list of some of the most common Online Shopping Personality Types, based on consumer research of online shoppers, in no particular order:

Recreational Shoppers:

Recreational shoppers are all over the place.  They flit from one website to another very quickly, and only stop when a truly significant deal catches their eye.  You have to really come up with something eye-catching if you hope to catch these customers.  These are customers that like to click on ‘similar product’ links, and that are likely to spend a great deal of time at your online retail store if your present enough engaging content to keep them there.

Deal Hunters:

Deal hunters are in search of the holy grail of deals.  They purchase items used or refurbished if it will get them a better deal. These are customers who might buy an item they don’t actually need if you present them with a good enough deal for it.  Deal hunters are also often on the lookout for free shipping deals.  Many deal hunters refuse to make purchases at online stores that do not offer free shipping if they can find a competing online store that offers the same product with free shipping.

The Flitter:

These shoppers can be ‘the fish that got away’ if you are not careful.  One way to keep them shopping is to ensure that the shopping cart on your website remains active for a long time, so that if they are in another window and forget that they are in the middle of a transaction, they can simply return and finish it.  If the shopping cart at your online retail store times out and the items are no longer there, the customer is less likely to re-add the items to the cart and purchase them. 

The Researcher:

Researchers love to learn everything they can about a product before purchasing it online.  They may watch a product for a while on various websites, to see what the average price is, so that they can know for sure when they are presented with a price whether or not it is a good deal.  Researchers also enjoy reading reviews from other customers, and regularly rely on ratings and reviews when deciding what to purchase online.

Impatient Shoppers:

Impatient shoppers will not stick around if your checkout process is lengthy and complicated.  They do not want to waste time signing up for an account, they want to buy their items immediately, and if you cannot provide them with immediate checkout, they will go to another website that will.  To capture this type of online shopper, make sure that your website loads quickly, and that your checkout process is as streamlined as possible.

Rewards Shoppers:

Many online shoppers like to patronize the same online retail stores repeatedly.  These brand loyalists enjoy customer loyalty programs that give rewards or points for purchases, and love to take part in deals and promotions that make them feel like they are working towards a goal with their purchases.  Rewards shoppers enjoy taking part in SMS Text Message Marketing campaigns, where they can receive messages about sales and specials they qualify for send directly to their personal mobile devices.  

Hipsters:

Some online shoppers only purchase high end retail brands.  These customers will purchase these brands from various sellers, but only buy the very best and premium brand names, and also generally wish to purchase the latest and newest models of items.  You will find that these customers are willing to spend a great deal of money in order to get top of the line items that are hot, fresh, and in style.

Day Dreamers:

Some people really love to make wish lists.  This type of shopper will typically have wish lists at several online retail stores, and enjoys dreaming about their ideal purchases, but needs a push in order to actualize the transaction.  You can convince them to purchase by lowering the price of items on their wish list, so that they can’t help but take advantage of the savings you are offering.

Intrepid Explorers:

Some online shoppers are after one thing, and only one thing.  Those shoppers will not purchase anything else and will not deviate from their quest for the specific item until they find it.  Once they find the product they are looking for, they may reward you by purchasing additional items from your online store because they are so happy that they found what they are looking for.  This type of shopper typically enjoys websites that have search functionality, or site maps that can make it easy to pinpoint the item they are seeking.

Consumer insights is only of benefit to you – if you use it.  If you are the owner or operator of an online retail entity, you should definitely take into account the variety of online shopping personality types.  Shoppers will reward you by making more purchases, and your profit margins will most definitely rise!  If you are looking to increase the amount of customers who purchase items from your online store, you should definitely use this information to your advantage.  

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It cannot be denied that the online shopping trends and consumer trends have grown a lot as of late.  9% of UK retail sales occur online.  But while certain types of products continue to be popular, others are not so popular at all. 

As many as half of consumers in the UK have never purchased items like health products, beauty products, furniture, or groceries online, and a significant number report that they have no plans to buy those items in the future either.  By using the results of this study, business owners can plan and strategize the best items to offer up for sale online.

Which Items Are The Least Popular?

YouGov partnered with VoucherCodes.co.uk to poll over 2,015 British adults about their sentiments and experiences with online shopping.  Some of the products on the poll were extremely unpopular.  Here are some of the least popular products, in ascending order.  Of the consumers polled:

• 26% never purchased Holiday Travel online,
• 29% never purchased Electronics online,
• 44% never purchased Health & Beauty products online, 
• 49% never purchased food online, and
• 50% never purchased Furniture online. 

The study also asked consumers what items they have no intention of ever purchasing online.  Most respondents (28%) reported that they would never purchase groceries online in the future and that they would much rather go to a market, supermarket or local store to purchase their food.  A close runner up was furniture, with a lot of consumers (26%) reporting that they had no intention of purchasing furniture on the internet in the future.

Conversely, many respondents indicated that they would consider buying entertainment items like music CDs or DVDs online, with only 5% stating they would never do so in the future.  Only 12% of the consumers polled reported that they would never consider purchasing travel tickets via the internet.

Barriers to Online Purchasing

This same study also asked the respondents what they perceived to be the most substantial barriers keeping them from purchasing more items online.  40% expressed that they were tactile individuals, who preferred to see the item in person before buying it.  33% reported that they felt that online descriptions of items were not detailed enough to definitively persuade them to purchase the item.  We have series of videos on stimulating the senses in our members area.

Delivery costs and scheduling delivery times were also stated barriers.  25% of the respondents said they didn’t enjoy the difficulty of scheduling delivery, and thus did not buy items online.  15% said that slow deliveries were the reason they avoid online purchasing.  30% reported that the idea of leaving their house to mail back returns was also a big reason that many consumers stated was keeping them from shopping online.  

Ratings and Reviews

This study is yet another piece of evidence that word-of-mouth marketing is highly important, and that the reviews, opinions, and ratings left by customers online, are extremely important for any brand.  Online reputation management is vitally important for businesses that wish to maintain a strong a positive presence on the internet.  Managing your reviews, introducing incentives for customers to leave them can play a big role here.

A whopping 73% of the consumers polled said that they would prefer instant access to reviews and ratings when shopping for items online.  More importantly, consumers are more likely to rely on the opinions of fellow consumers than they are of industry experts or journalists, with only 39% stating that they would prefer instant access to this type of review or rating.  We know that testimonials are a strong psychological driver for customers.  Perhaps stories of customers who were also nervous about online shopping, could reassure some customers to take the plunge.

The survey concluded by asking consumers about what types of technology would be more useful to them while shopping online.  40% wished for a 360 degree angle viewer for the products, and 39% said they’d like to receive samples of various products like fabrics and cosmetics for free before deciding to purchase them.

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We’ve avoided too much legal jargon and excessive detail – keeping things simple, we’ve outlined the key criteria for redeeming your voucher and gaining face to face support from Kerching Retail. 

• Eligibility for face to face support and grants has been set by the Leicestershire Rural Partnership.
• Shop or Post Office must be in a settlement of 7,000 or less residents.  Check your Village.
• Shop must sell fresh produce – For example bread, milk, meat & cheese - This does not apply to Post Offices.
• Only one voucher can be redeemed within a 12 month period.

Deadline to redeem – 28th February 2014
The voucher has no other intrinsic value – and cannot be transferred for anything else.

Consultancy must be completed prior to 31st March 2014.

To proceed and organise an appointment – contact vss@kerchingretail.com or telephone 01455 203 206.

NB: For the purposes of the Village Shop Support Scheme VSS – settlements with populations above 7,000 are excluded from face to face support.  Online resources and tools are available free of charge (usual cost £49.95 per year).  visit VSS for more information. 

Search for your village/town – column three indicates your approximate population (as of 2004).

 Before you embark on a new display or store layout, go through this check list to ensure you maximise the opportunity.

The “PLAN”

P – Purpose, central to any display is “What do you want the customer to do?”  This may sound obvious – “Buy something” but it isn’t.  Buy what?  The bulk offer, the three for two, the meal deal.

L – Location.  A space 10cm to the left can have double digit impact on sales and profit.  Supermarkets use Planogram software to maximise this.  We have primary, secondary and discovery aspects to a display – primary being the most visible.  Band your display area, and ensure you focus your headline in the primary area.

A – Attention.  Your display will compete with 2-3,000 other promotional campaigns we get exposed to on a daily basis.  Why will this grab my attention more than the others?  Movement, light, space, scale – all make your display catch my eye.

N – Numbers.  You must do the numbers to understand what constitutes success.  You don’t have to be an accountant to understand what works and what doesn’t.  As busy people we need to make sure we focus only on what works.

If a display of £5 gifts cost £50 and the profit margin is 40%.  We need to sell 31x units to break even (£5 less £1 VAT = £4 at 40% = £1.6 profit per unit).  This is 31x units above and beyond what you did before the display.  When we realise the numbers involved we can challenge a: Is this the right product (i.e. a product with 60% margin would only need to sell 21x extra units 33% less) b: Is our Purpose, Location and Attention right.

1. Do you know what you are focusing on with your display?
2. What are you trying to achieve?
3. Is the product a high margin or high profit product?
4. Do you have a theme in mind?
5. Will you use consistent colours?
6. Will you use double facing or pyramids to draw focus to a particular product?

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This sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed how many staff don’t really know what is expected of them.

For this to be done effectively, it is useful to have a document that breaks down their role 

into component parts and explains what “good’ looks like.  We call this a Role Profile, or KPIs (Key performance indicators), or quite simply a Job Description.

Below are links to a generic retail role profile we have created for you (perfect for independents and specialist retailers).  You can download as a PDF file and print out, or an excel file which you can edit and customise to your own b

usiness.

PDF: Version to print out.

Excel file to download and edit.

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