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This is the marketing playbook that will help keep your business at the top of every customer's mind - and wallet - and help you increase Profits, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Retention, Customer Loyalty and Word-of-Mouth Advocacy, both online and offline.

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Post-recession shopping behaviour shifts

The recession has changed consumers' mindset about shopping, and most people have already developed new rules for the retailers with which they choose to deal. As a result, retailers need a greater understanding of the changed roles they play in consumers' lives in order to meet those expectations and maintain customer loyalty.

The study, entitled 'Re-Imagining The Retail Store', identified five key findings that retailers should consumer when implementing new strategies:

1. Don't let technology undermine the shopping experience
   Retailers tend to view in-store technologies as a better way to connect with their customers, but customers don't agree. While people do want to experience a seamless transition between the physical and virtual store by using technology, they also want educated and friendly service when visiting the physical store. Technology is not a suitable substitute and this practice can damage an already fragile relationship.
2. Shoppers are promiscuous
   Consumers tend to shop around, and their loyalty is hard earned. The recession has taken a toll on consumer confidence and people's perceptions of retail business. Customer loyalty has to be earned by understanding in detail the expectations of the shopper and delivering every time.
3. Price is attractive, but it's not the whole story
   Consumers will not accept a trade-off involving low price versus quality experiences and merchandise. Today, people are more than happy not to spend their money if they feel that retailers do not give them a sufficient reason to purchase.
4. Breaking the rules
   If you're not winning by following the rules, break them. There are two clear ways to win in store-based retailing - excel within your store archetype or take a radical path to greatness and create a new store format that breaks out of category conventions and delivers a unique experience.
5. The basics are still powerful
   It may not be exciting, but there is work to do and profit to be made from making the basics of retail even better. Retailers are struggling to get the basics right and people are visibly frustrated. Going back to basics can help to improve customer appeal, retention and, ultimately, profitability.

According to Dr Alan Treadgold, head of retail strategy for Leo Burnett Worldwide, "The retail landscape continues to evolve and move further away from being just a place to purchase a product. It's an experience. As retailers listen to their customers and understand their behaviors, they can create an experience that people come back to time and time again."

A white paper detailing the study's findings and conclusions has been made available for free download from the Leo Burnett web site - click here (Google Docs web-based document; no registration needed).

Have you seen Easy Ways To Make Marketing Pay?

This is the marketing playbook that will help keep your business at the top of every customer's mind - and wallet - and help you increase Profits, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Retention, Customer Loyalty and Word-of-Mouth Advocacy, both online and offline.

This 120+ page report distils a whole spectrum of marketing best practices, do's and don'ts, practical how-to's, research and wisdom from respected global marketing veterans, explaining both emerging and established marketing techniques, technologies, strategies and practices, and providing you with the data you need to support the best decisions for your new, more profitable, more engaging marketing strategy.

In this comprehensive report you'll find all the information and support you need to build and improve a profitable, effective Marketing Strategy that covers all aspects of your business and customer base.

It also highlights all the hard facts, practical know-how and trends drawn by our experts from the global Marketing Factbook's vast database of market data, studies, research and white papers, and presents you with an invaluable library of ideas and practical support you can call upon at will.

This is no average 'state of play' report; it's the only 'Fact Book' that helps you implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and help you grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy.

You'll gain a true goldmine of easily adaptable and up-to-date strategies, walk-throughs, trends, research and market data, plus all the supporting arguments you need to build a solid, profit-generating marketing strategy.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)