Extracts from Tim Radley’s 5-star book…
‘Meaning in the Retail Madness’
How to become an Essential Retailer.
In the digital-first world, it is easy to get lost in the truly incredible capabilities and applications of technology. It is easy to think that technology holds the answers to everything.
It certainly holds the answer to the future efficiency of many retail functions, but it is a misconception that it can single-handedly transform customer relationships.
Digital marketing will continue to grow in importance and application in communicating promotions, events, product suggestions, and wider brand messages. It is also of course behind the rich sources of customer data, as well as helping to continuously evolve the quality and engagement of customer interfaces and touchpoints. But it is not everything.
There is no better personal shopping experience than the one which occurs between two people in a shop.
Physical & technological customers journeys run in parallel from simple acknowledgement to intimate relationships. Shop staff can be helped by traditional physical training and digital support to improve the ways that they can interact with the customer transforming them from ambivalent visitors to loyal patrons.
Regular shop workers and regular customers often develop relationships and friendships. Inadvertently, shop managers build up mental databases of their customers, their likes and dislikes, sensitivity to price, brand preferences, and even their personal lives and life events.
Physical shops are a rich source of customer data. Even if we choose not to call it that. And physical shops are also still the main place where retailers meet their customers, get to know them, and build relationships.
The shop route and the technology route to developing customer relationships should be perfectly complementary and coordinated. As technology advances, the training of shop colleagues in interpersonal skills should evolve using the knowledge gathered from across every channel.
The potential for retailers to prosper will be through the balance of technology and people. Not a battle for supremacy. But an equal and coordinated collaboration of the best of both worlds.
There is good technology and bad technology and there are good people and bad people. There are efficient technologies and efficient people. And above all, there is game-changing technology and there have always been game-changing people.
We need the best, most efficient and most relevant technologies and people in our retail organisations, and we need them to evolve and develop side by side. In this way, the balance of technology and people, and a respect for each, will guarantee game-changing technology and game-changing people at every step of a retailer’s journey.
People and technologies both need training and time to learn. Despite its reputation the impact of technology is not usually instant. Technology needs time to be tested and modified so that its capability is appropriate to meet its objectives. There then needs to be a period of bedding down to improve the reliability of the system. From this point we can then see its applications really paying dividends, blossoming to a point of excellence.
People evolve in a similar way, beginning with energy and enthusiasm, they need to be managed, directed and motivated whilst acquiring the expertise to make them into real assets.
The initial beneficiary of a coordinated approach to people and technology will be the customer. They will be more satisfied, more content, more enthusiastic and more loyal, becoming advocates of the brand.
The ultimate beneficiary will be the retail business itself through increases in efficiency and productivity, leading to higher sales and profit. The ultimate goal for any businesses is increased productivity. This can only happen in today’s retail world with the correct balance, of the correct people and the correct technology.
Extract taken from Chapter 1:
How to flourish in the ‘Life & times of the Essential Retailer.’
I have written this book for anyone who wants to consider the alternatives to the familiar,
misguided and destructive retail strategies that many retailers still persevere with.
Retail leaders & professionals, commercial entrepreneurs & accidental retailers, consumer brands, shop owners, managers & colleagues,
product suppliers, growers, manufacturers & craftspeople, landlords, designers, social marketers and informed customers.
It’s not all about plaudits, but it is nice when people leave kind reviews.
“Insightful read – highly recommend. Detailed read with lots of helpful illustrations, practical advice and case studies that bring the key learnings to life without being too theoretical or heavy.
Tim clearly has bags of experience in retail to share with the reader, I’ve learnt a lot about disrupting the business and being an essential retailer!.”
Sarah G.
Amazon.fr
“5.0 out of 5 stars This book is more relevant now than ever. As the title alludes to, even with 25 years of retail design experience, this book is an essential must have. A life time of experience packaged in a clear, simple and methodical way.
Many publications about this subject tend to be whimsical speculation, but founded on front-line experience this book collates relevant/current case studies and pairs them with simple action plans and guidelines.”
Jolyon N.
Amazon.com
“Expert but accessible, a book for everyone. I’d recommend everyone from buyers to shop assistants to read this book. I really liked its structure, which starts by looking at the retail environment today, then at the organisations themselves and then the strategies they undertake. It’s completely logical. There is a good depth of knowledge, but it is explained clearly and very visually so it’s interesting at any level. The illustrations and diagrams are also amazing! I now feel more informed as a shopper – thank you so much.”
Alice R.
Amazon.com
“Invaluable read and resource! This book is not just for reading though!
This is a great resource book, full of considered industry insights, and is really useful for enhancing staff training and engagement: currently doing the rounds with my colleagues at the ‘shop face’! … thoroughly recommended”
Celia L.
Amazon.com
‘Meaning in the Retail Madness’
“Wonderful Read !!” – Sarah R.
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