Form Retailer Groups for Practices Recognition

“My observations of many merchants in my neighborhood are that they treat their businesses more like a hobby than a business. They often aren’t open at the times the sign on their door says they will be. They refuse to stay open even one day per week in the evening. They close up during special events we other merchants arrange.”
     That’s an edited version of a comment I received on a retailer survey.
     It’s harder for you to be convenient when the stores around yours are not open at times convenient to shoppers. It’s harder to claim customers should trust what you say when the merchants on either side of you don’t keep the operating hours they’ve promised in writing.
     Researchers at University of Georgia and University of Southern California looked at situations where shoppers ended up feeling either better or worse about their experience than they'd expected. When shoppers' expectations were exceeded, the shoppers often took it for granted and didn't give lots of credit to the product or service. It was when expectations were not met—when the store's promises were not kept—that there was more likely to be an impact on the evaluation of the product or service.
     One possible solution is to move your operations to a managed shopping center, such as a mall, where operating hours and keeping to commitments are generally enforced. Another alternative is to join up with other retailers who want to adhere to your high standards and professional practices.
     Some years ago, Ace Hardware Corporation developed a detailed code of procedures to which the independently-owned stores could adhere. Each store that did was awarded the designation “Vision 21.” The notion was to give the Ace Hardware brand a quality image across the range of owners and operators of the stores. You might do something of this sort to grant prestige to the brand that is your retailing corridor.

• Give shoppers a way to recognize the distinction. Vision 21 retailers got a plaque to display, and a press release was sent out when a store qualified.
• Measure key performance indicators, such as profitability, to show that adherence to the standards is worthwhile. You want to recruit as many neighborhood retailers as possible.
• When you’ve good participation, consider raising the bar to provide your brand even more prestige. This year, Ace Hardware Corporation morphed the Vision 21 program into Ace Platinum.

Click below for more:
Keep Your Promises
Hobnob with Your Neighborhood Retailers