I attempted a bit of Christmas shopping this last weekend. My venue of choice was Sam Levy’s Village in Borrowdale which promised late night shopping on Fridays leading up to the holiday (at least that is what the big banner out front said). I was sorely disappointed. Few of the shops I wanted to visit were open later than five and I was rudely hurried out of one when they turned the lights off (if you had politely told me you were closing I would have been much less annoyed). Those that remained open past usual closing times I commend and thank you as you served me well.
I managed to solve some of my Christmas list and spent time looking at the beautiful lights while holding a cup of hot coffee in one hand and while the other intertwined with the fingers of the most beautiful lady in the world. I guess it was not a total loss.
There are a multitude of factors affecting an individual store’s decision to offer late night shopping; cost-effectiveness, overtime issues, staffing dilemmas, previous experience, economic expectations, and of course the sheer annoyance factor.
So I cannot really place a large dose of fault on the stores that failed to open. There is also the dilemma of when to offer it; every Friday in December, a different day, just the last few days before Christmas? There is no right answer although I would say that given our subdued economy the closer to pay-day the better.
One thing I guess local shop retailers can be grateful for; we do not have a thriving local online shopping industry yet. When putting a promotion together, like late night shopping, you have to decide who it is going to appeal to.
Then you tailor the experience around them and get them there. According to The Centre for Retail Research in UK ‘‘ . . . although many loathe Christmas shopping, most active shoppers love the buzz, the decorations, the crowds and the vast range of products available at Christmas time.
Retailers that survive are those that can create that excitement and the thrills of the chase and who make technology work for them in meeting the different needs of discriminating customers’’ (Shopping For Christmas Report 2014).
Late night shopping needs to appeal to a group of customers that has a problem. In this case ‘‘you need gifts for your family and do not have a lot of time to get them.’’ I did not expect to see a Travel Agent open late-there is no need; their market does not need late night shopping.
You need to then sell the idea that you can solve that problem; ‘‘Hey we have the gifts you need and we are open till 630pm’’. Then there needs to be a unique story that only you can provide. This is where the lights at Sam Levy’s Village work well for example. But that Christmas buzz with Santa, toys and decor is something that can also be well played here.
Take the loathing out of the crowds and bustle (that’s why I went on a Friday night rather than a Saturday morning), make it efficient (swift turnarounds, good layout, pre-orders online), make it fun (lights, Santa, music, deals and prizes), make it unique (you can only get that here) and you have a winner.
The concept of late night Christmas shopping (or any other new trend) is not going to take immediately with everyone. Likewise it is not going to appeal to everyone; older folk with poor eyesight who do not like to drive at night won’t take advantage of it. The first year you may only attract the early adopters and trend setters (the sort of people who try something simply because it is new).
It takes a while for the concept to reach the sort of popular level which appeals to the masses in order to make it cost-effective. And you only get one shot at it every year which makes it even harder to get right. It would also be wise to keep a tab on shopping trends over the year.
Should internet sales take off in a big way then mainstream retailers will need to adapt by the time Christmas rolls around.
Any promotion you run tells a story-sadly having a limited buy in from participating stores during a shopping mall wide promo tells that story rather badly.
The bottom line: if you are going to put on a promotion then make sure it works.
- The Herald (Zimpapers 1980 LTD)