Jan 22, 2008

When January Sales DonBy Peter James RyanInsideRetailing.com.au

Most retailers realise that the hardest task they are confronted with is generating higher levels of foot traffic. Customers increasingly value their time and think twice before they use this valuable and finite commodity. This is doubly true of male shoppers. But there is one period in the year when shoppers and potential shoppers have an excess of time.

And that is the period in December and January each year when families take time out. For most this holiday is extended for at least a week. For many men, the post Christmas hiatus is the one time of the year where they have the luxury of time to browse, stock up and replenish everything from their clothing requirements to gadgets, sporting goods and more. So if this is the part of the calendar when they have the time to shop why is it that this is the time retailers choose to reduce the entire retail experience to off-price jumble sales?

I was recently standing in a well-known department store watching businessman after businessman trying to buy a sizable amount of apparel. They wanted to spend money – large amounts of it. One by one they simply got frustrated and left the store. They couldn’t find their size. They couldn’t find the colour or cut they wanted. They couldn’t find anything. The customer experience was cut-priced confusion.

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