By Rieva Lesonsky
Is your small retail business being affected by ?showrooming?? The latest trend in shopping, according to research company NPD Group, showrooming is when consumers visit a physical location to touch and try out a product. Then, MediaPost reports, they? then go online to do additional research and price comparisons before finally buying the product online.
NPD Group says about 15 to 20 percent of consumers showroom and that products which are technical and ?somewhat expensive? are more likely to be showroomed. In addition to gadgets such as cell phones, laptops and other tech devices, small appliances and home improvement products like sewing machines, electric knives or power tools are also candidates for showrooming.
Perry James, NPD Group president of home and office supplies, told MediaPost that showrooming is good news for retailers, because it proves that brick-and-mortar stores aren?t obsolete and that consumers still want to touch and hold products before making a decision to buy.
But showrooming may not sound like good news to small, local retailers, especially if customers head out the door to order online from a big-box retailer after testing the product at their stores. So how can you get showrooming customers to not only try, but also buy, from you?
Personalized service and convenience are key. Your employees must be able to work with customers when they see them testing products to find out what they need and want. If they can engage a customer in conversation and provide exactly what they?re looking for right on the spot, then you have a better chance of making the sale.
What if you don?t have the exact item in-store? That doesn?t have to mean losing the sale. At Sears, for instance, associates with tablets can help customers find the exact product they want and order it online for them for delivery in a few days. Can you offer a similar service?
Helping customers get exactly what they want without the hassles of having to visit another store or search and compare prices online can help you get the sale. But brick-and-mortar retailers that don?t take steps to compete with online-only merchants could quickly find themselves losing sales?and ultimately their businesses.
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The views expressed here are the author's alone and not those of Network Solutions or its partners.
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Source: http://www.networksolutions.com/smallbusiness/2012/03/is-showrooming-affecting-your-retail-business/
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