The Landlord Strikes Back
If anyone thought bricks & mortar retailers were going to lie down in the face of an online invasion they are very much mistaken. Likewise any retail landlord who hasn’t heeded the ‘adapt-or-die’ writing on the wall, is in for a shock.
South Africa’s traditionally big names have learnt to have an online presence to supplement their physical shop experience. Woolworths and Pick n’ Pay have online shops. While Look n’ Listen, for example, has become so integrated online it’s basically a hybrid retailer. Kalahari and Spree remain purely online vendors.
The next phase of integration is being previewed in places like the UK, from whom SA retailers can learn a great deal in this regard. Enter the “Student Lock in”: some of the UK’s largest shopping centres are using this marketing tool to draw in younger clientele,
After weeks of promotion on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, shopping centres close at the normal time, and then reopen from 9pm until 11pm for the ‘Student Lock-in’, only admitting shoppers who can show a valid National Union of Students (NUS) card. The events are intermittent and planned long in advance. Special offers, entertainment, food and music all add to a festival atmosphere. One of the UK’s largest shopping centre owners is Land Securities(LS). Events like ‘Student Lock-ins’ at LS shopping centres in Cardiff and Dundee have raked in the sales.
Other Student lock-in events revolve around online media promotions of film events. For example Gok Wan’s “How to look Good Naked” was promoted on line and shot at the Hammerson mall, packing in the crowds with retail benefits all round. Combining online promotion and social media with fashion, restaurants and leisure seems to be a way of keeping up with the attraction of online stores. People come to shopping centres for the vibe, to eat and be entertained.
South Africa’s traditionally big names have learnt to have an online presence to supplement their physical shop experience. Woolworths and Pick n’ Pay have online shops. While Look n’ Listen, for example, has become so integrated online it’s basically a hybrid retailer. Kalahari and Spree remain purely online vendors.
The next phase of integration is being previewed in places like the UK, from whom SA retailers can learn a great deal in this regard. Enter the “Student Lock in”: some of the UK’s largest shopping centres are using this marketing tool to draw in younger clientele,
After weeks of promotion on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, shopping centres close at the normal time, and then reopen from 9pm until 11pm for the ‘Student Lock-in’, only admitting shoppers who can show a valid National Union of Students (NUS) card. The events are intermittent and planned long in advance. Special offers, entertainment, food and music all add to a festival atmosphere. One of the UK’s largest shopping centre owners is Land Securities(LS). Events like ‘Student Lock-ins’ at LS shopping centres in Cardiff and Dundee have raked in the sales.
Other Student lock-in events revolve around online media promotions of film events. For example Gok Wan’s “How to look Good Naked” was promoted on line and shot at the Hammerson mall, packing in the crowds with retail benefits all round. Combining online promotion and social media with fashion, restaurants and leisure seems to be a way of keeping up with the attraction of online stores. People come to shopping centres for the vibe, to eat and be entertained.
But there’s more: in the US, Land Securities has brought the convenience of online shopping into seven of its malls, where Amazon.com collection lockers have been installed. Customers who cannot be at home, or are ordering things too bulky to fit through a letter box, are sent a code and date to pick up their parcel from the shopping centre. When customers collect in store, or return an item it’s another sales opportunity.
A MasterCard survey indicated that the number of people who make use of mobile phone access and thus using their phones to do online shopping in South Africa has increased hand over fist. Growth of mobile smart phones and iPads allows shoppers to shop anytime or anywhere. This can’t be ignored, so if-you-can’t-beat-‘em-join-‘em. Enter the QR Code.
A QR code (or Quick Response code) is a kind of barcode popular due to its large storage capacity and quick readability. QR Codes make it easy for a person to perform a certain action by scanning a code on their smart phone. The use by retailers to market products to consumers is obvious. Every Smart-phone owner is a potential user. More and more retailers are adding QR codes to their merchandise adding a further dimension to their shopping experience.
This allows shoppers to scan products via a QR code reader on their smart phones, and order and pay for the product directly without needing to do the transaction at a point of sale. Of course this is just one of many ways of shopping in a multifaceted shopping experience. Woolworths South Africa made use of this technology during its last big sale earlier in the year. Standard Bank is making big waves with its QR ‘Snap code’ for purchasing without cash or card.
Another UK innovation that emerged this year was “click and collect.” Department store House of Fraser moved its pick up facility from the back to the middle of the store reporting that customers are more likely to purchase items in addition to their online purchases they had come to pick-up. Being present meant that online customers are able to try on and exchange goods whilst in the shop.
The concept developed further into House of Fraser “virtual department stores”, a fraction of the size and cost of a full department store – which can get virtually any products on next day delivery. The stores consist of a customer services area, and many change rooms, making it easy for customers to pick up, try out, pay for or return items.
Innovations like this have brought out a creativity and an aggressive response to the so-called onslaught of on-line shopping, blurring the lines between worlds.
Interestingly there are even online-only and catalogue retailers who have started opening small shops to improve their customers shopping experience and to compete with finer tuned bricks and mortar customer service. What’s certain though is that shopping centre landlords are getting creative, innovative and fighting back by taking on the online retailers at their own game.
To read more articles by Matthew Campaigne-Scott Click Here
A MasterCard survey indicated that the number of people who make use of mobile phone access and thus using their phones to do online shopping in South Africa has increased hand over fist. Growth of mobile smart phones and iPads allows shoppers to shop anytime or anywhere. This can’t be ignored, so if-you-can’t-beat-‘em-join-‘em. Enter the QR Code.
A QR code (or Quick Response code) is a kind of barcode popular due to its large storage capacity and quick readability. QR Codes make it easy for a person to perform a certain action by scanning a code on their smart phone. The use by retailers to market products to consumers is obvious. Every Smart-phone owner is a potential user. More and more retailers are adding QR codes to their merchandise adding a further dimension to their shopping experience.
This allows shoppers to scan products via a QR code reader on their smart phones, and order and pay for the product directly without needing to do the transaction at a point of sale. Of course this is just one of many ways of shopping in a multifaceted shopping experience. Woolworths South Africa made use of this technology during its last big sale earlier in the year. Standard Bank is making big waves with its QR ‘Snap code’ for purchasing without cash or card.
Another UK innovation that emerged this year was “click and collect.” Department store House of Fraser moved its pick up facility from the back to the middle of the store reporting that customers are more likely to purchase items in addition to their online purchases they had come to pick-up. Being present meant that online customers are able to try on and exchange goods whilst in the shop.
The concept developed further into House of Fraser “virtual department stores”, a fraction of the size and cost of a full department store – which can get virtually any products on next day delivery. The stores consist of a customer services area, and many change rooms, making it easy for customers to pick up, try out, pay for or return items.
Innovations like this have brought out a creativity and an aggressive response to the so-called onslaught of on-line shopping, blurring the lines between worlds.
Interestingly there are even online-only and catalogue retailers who have started opening small shops to improve their customers shopping experience and to compete with finer tuned bricks and mortar customer service. What’s certain though is that shopping centre landlords are getting creative, innovative and fighting back by taking on the online retailers at their own game.
To read more articles by Matthew Campaigne-Scott Click Here