Window shopping has become the thing of the past as smartphones and tablets have made it easy for people to buy things online. Showrooming or viewing items sold in retail stores and buying them online has replaced this practice. While window shopping leads to in-store sale, show-rooming does not bring business to the store itself. Armed with their smartphones and tablets while shopping, potential customers check the items they want in other online stores and compare prices. Since internet businesses have lower prices than brick and mortar stores, they usually purchase from the internet the items they saw in the store.
Do retail stores have reason to feel threatened by this phenomenon? A study on consumer behavior has shown that although shoppers would always search for the goods on the internet, this does not mean that they would buy online.
Here are some tips on how to beat the effects of showrooming.
First, build a website for your store. The internet has changed business trends and retail stores that want to remain competitive should go with the trend and aim to excel. Make a website that is appealing to customers. It must be easy to navigate to make finding products they intend to buy fast. Post product reviews, discount coupons, and other promotions in your website. Smartphone users are usually attracted to stores that offer reduced prices while product reviews help them decide what to buy.
Second, when doing a marketing campaign for your store, include relevant information such as the physical address, phone number, and other contact details. A study conducted to confirm the idea about showrooming revealed that 77% of the shoppers buy in-store even after they have viewed the items in their smartphone or tablet. Results revealed that most customers check the location of stores where the same item as that in the store is sold at a lower price. If that store is beyond five miles from where they are, their tendency is to make the purchase right there and then rather than order online. One advantage of having your own website is that shoppers in other stores who engage in showrooming could easily find you and if they prefer your store over others, you would be able to make online sales or if your physical location is accessible to them, they can do their shopping in your store.
Third, analyze how showrooming affects your business. Knowledge is power and having the right information regarding the influence of showrooming on retail stores will be a great help. Keep abreast with business trends and adopt the concepts that you deem good for your business.
Fourth, find ways to have competitive prices. Do research, especially about your competitors. If they can sell an item cheap, why can’t you? There are many ways to reduce costs that will be reflected on your store prices.
Last, take note of people’s emerging shopping behaviors. Your understanding of how shoppers’ minds work will be a great help in developing effective business strategies that would cushion you from the impact of showrooming.
Modern technology has made shopping a seamless activity. Instead of taking offensive moves such as blocking signal to prevent people shopping in your store from accessing other stores, which could drive them away, study your options and take one that will help you compete in a healthy way.
Instead of acting like hurt dogs hiding their tails between their legs in total show of defeat, brick and mortar stores should face the challenge and do something to join the flock and emerge victorious. You cannot lag behind; you should move forward and embrace change.
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