5 retailers who really get their audience

Retailers need to understand their target market – it’s a no brainer. When shopping online or in-store, consumers want their experience to be straightforward and suited to them, so it’s crucial that retailers get it right.
When researching Cybertill’s latest report, Retail Inventory: Expectations vs Reality, five retailers stood out, and highlighted how much they truly understand their audience:

1-Karen Millen*

Upmarket women’s fashion retailer, Karen Millen, is aimed at the fast-paced, working Millennial market. A unique feature of its online offering is that shoppers can view items by store on the product listing pages. By entering a postcode in the faceted navigation, shoppers can filter results by proximity – perfect for those who love to look online before buying in-store, which is 17% of women in the UK according to YouGov (2018) research commissioned by Cybertill.

On the individual product pages, shoppers can check store stock availability. Not only does the website show one location and one size, but it also shows other nearby stores and the availability of alternative sizes, close to the one selected. This is invaluable to customers, especially in fashion when a customer may fit various sizes, depending on the brand, therefore providing a choice of where they should shop for which size.

2-Blackwell’s

Found mainly on or near university campus’, Blackwell’s bookstore primarily targets students and has pop-up stores to trade over peak periods at other university sites across the country. Out of all retailers researched, Blackwell’s are a store that is constantly in need of satisfying its customers, as each new year brings a new wave of shopper – currently Gen Z.

Blackwell’s online offering shows stock availability by store and nearby stores; exact quantities available by store and nearby stores, as well as offering same day collection. Perfect for students wanting to collect a book on their way to a lecture. However; where Blackwell’s need to improve is that inventory is subject to overnight polling and stock levels online may have been sold before someone reserves and collect. This is important to Gen Z, as 86% of this market find it frustrating when an item is marked ‘in-stock’ online on their website, but not available when you go to find it in-store (YouGov 2018).

3-The Entertainer

Family-owned toy retailer, The Entertainer, has a target market primarily made up of parents/guardians of pre-teen children and it’s clear that the toy store knows its audience.

At times, parents often buy last-minute gifts for birthday parties, treats, or simply catering to the whims of toddlers, so busy parents who are time-limited need to know that what they are ordering online will be in-stock in-store. The Entertainer understands where stock is and provides the option of collecting an order in as little as 30 minutes, a testament to its stock management process and commitment to a good customer experience.

4-Schuh

One of the UK’s most recognised retailers, Schuh has enabled its customers to be adventurous and individual, with its quirky name and brands sold. Primarily aimed at Gen Z and Millennials, Schuh really understands the need for speed amongst these shoppers.

Schuh’s ecommerce website offers shoppers a choice between click and collect, click and reserve or buy store stock and provides online shoppers with full visibility of when and where they can expect their items to be available. Shoppers can buy online and collect in just one hour at no extra cost, or click and reserve, collecting an item in-store just 20 minutes after reservation online – crucial for those all-important shoe emergencies!

5-The Fragrance Shop

Perfume is big business, with the global market value projected to reach US$ 48.0 Billion by 2024. The Fragrance Shop has made fragrances accessible and affordable to its customers, who cover a wide age range and demographic.

More than just a store, The Fragrance shop operates an ecommerce website, mobile app and telephone orders, meeting the shopping needs of its wide audience. A key element to meeting these shoppers’ needs is the ability to click and collect an item within 30 minutes from ordering, which is great for those last-minute gifts.

A cool benefit The Fragrance Shop offers its online customers is the ability to buy now and pay later with Klarna, or split payments into three over 60 days. Teaming up with Klarna shows how much The Fragrance Shop values its customers, they understand that perfume is a luxury that not many people can purchase on a whim, tying into their business objective of being affordable.

 

See which retailers are offering consumers what they want, download Cybertill’s latest research report, Retail Inventory: Expectations vs Reality.

*Karen Millen was researched before Boohoo acquired the company in August 2019

The research

Statistics in this blog were taken from the following:
Online YouGov Survey on behalf of Cybertill ‘Online/in-store shopping’, completed by 2004 adults between 11th – 12th April 2019. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

Terms and Conditions

Data contained within this report may only be published if crediting ‘Cybertill and YouGov’ and a link back to www.cybertill.com/5-retailers-who-really-get-their-audience