Customer relationships
Building deeper relationships with the customer to unlock the commercial potential of retailers.
Evolving basic, advanced & ultimate connections.
Our clients’ current priorities
“Building deeper relationships with the customer unlocks the commercial potential for retailers. the deeper the connection the greater the opportunities!”
Creating ‘Essential relationships’ with the customer
One of the advantages of deep connections is that they help build opportunities to broaden assortments and related services. They open the potential to enter diverse product and service sectors and they provide the potential to deliver revenue generating loyalty subscription models with the most engaged customers.
A more engaged relationship, a deeper connection, requires more synergy of values, ethical points of view and philosophies. The connection goes beyond shopping. The catchment is limited but loyalty is strong.
Conversely a shallower less engaged relationship, focused on retail fundamentals only, is appropriate and comfortable for a wider section of society but will lack a binding loyalty with the retailer. In this scenario the retail fundamentals must be absolute best practice to ensure customers stay loyal when many competitors offer a similar relationship.
Therefore, retailers, like people, have a strategic choice. To be opinionated and to make strong friendships, but clear enemies. Or to agree with everyone, which will not create enemies but will not engender deep and lasting relationships either.
‘Customer relationships should build from ‘tolerance of a retailer,’ through ‘loyalty to the retailer’ to ‘reliance on the retailer.’.
Maximising the commercial success from evolving a ‘Virtuous Cycle of Customer Personalisation.’
‘Deeper relationships are essential for retailers to be able to develop and diversify their assortments and services. New and attractive propositions are essential for a deeper relationship.’
The virtuous cycle between retail proposition evolution and relationship building is a series of cyclical steps from basic, advanced, to ultimate customer connections. Central to the benefits for retailers is the progressive building of trust and intimacy with the customer.
This is a significant series of steps that transform a relationship from where the retailer pays the customer with price promotions in a basic relationship , through a financially neutral advanced relationship, to the ultimate retailer connection where the customer pays the retailer via a subscription model, to be part of, and receive, the retailer’s loyalty benefits.
It is the proposition and relationship combination that allows a retailer to transcend a traditional transactional model to a service benefit model.
“Destination Stores are anchored in physical locations. Personal Destination Shops are located wherever the customer is!”
Engaging with the era of the ‘Personal Destination retailer.’
These essential retailers satisfy the functional needs and the emotional desires of their customers. The experience is personal, individual, and immediate. These are what we call ‘Personal Destination Retailers.’
Physically, they are part of the customer’s community, their neighbourhood, their town and their space. The way that they act and integrate with the physical space and the people in it makes them local. Their behaviour makes them personal. They are familiar and comfortable in the customer’s locality.
Digitally, they are equally adept at creating personal spaces and local places. Their sites and media channels generate a personal world which is for each customer. It is a community drawn from celebrities, influencers, friends and like-minded strangers, filled with content, music, and rich media selected for each customer.
A summary of our client services.
Every retail business, businessman, entrepreneur and shopkeeper is different.
Every client project and collaboration we plan and deliver is different.
Our client pledge
To make every team member and colleague a ‘better’ retailer,
and to leave a permanent and positive legacy in every client business.
Let’s do something great together.
Newsletter
’52 Steps to the Perfect Shop!’ weekly newsletter
For everyone looking to improve their physical shops,
or even thinking of opening their first pop-up or permanent shop,
we have written the ’52 Steps to the Perfect Shop!’ weekly newsletter, delivered direct to your inbox.
You too can have ‘The Perfect Shop’ by this time next year!