Article Idea:
Using Customer Information in context: How retail industry can leverage it for increasing sales
suggested by Masood Nasser on 2006/08/27
Many brands in the garment industry are using customer information and empowering sales people to make crucial point of sales decisions. How can we take this idea and take this a bit further? Engaging the customer in real time.
Consumer surveys, user testing, etc, are not as valuable as the information you get from users in context. With this article, I am proposing ways in which the power of customer intelligence and collaborative strategies with users can help formulate strategies to increase sales
Want to see this idea turned into a story?
3 people said yes. | 0 people said no.
Alok Jain
92 Reputation points
Posted 2006/08/27 @ 18:20PM with
Hey Masood,
The article would be of great relevance, it’s a problem everyone is trying to solve. give us a little glimse into what you have in mind.
Cheers
AloK Jain
Masood Nasser
70 Reputation points
Posted 2006/08/29 @ 03:41AM with
Hi Alok. Thanks. This is indeed a very interesting topic. I have had discussions with sales managers of retail brands and they have given feedback that they use customer example for point of sales decisions. Using customer intelligence and reports, they focus on selling products for audiences based on behaviour, buying patterns, demographics, and so forth. The entire ambience and the display design are influenced by customer data, but I am not asking for an abdication of responsibility by the visual merchandiser.
Now we know that customer surveys are good and give certain insights, but at most times it is done as an afterthought or maybe as an obligation for good service provided. Having collaborative feedback and design sessions with users would go a step further. Imagine having a fun and games sessions for kids in a shopping mall where we introduce learning games which are basically a tool for understanding their mindset. This can lead not only to improving service quality but can also tie back to inputs for development of new toys itself.
Asking consumers to fill surveys is good, but asking them to design displays and rewarding them with loyalty points would involve them to a next level. Now, having these activities as an ad hoc sales promotion is different than having a platform that is linked to you Customer intelligence application. I will delve in this further in the article.