Page 103 - Demo

from the entire country, giving way to campaigns such as ‘Empty Esky’ and ‘Buy from the Bush’. Brands and retailers need to tap into this and give hero status to any products that can genuinely claim to be Australian made, and the more local the better. Of course, it remains to be seen if this preference will hold up as purse strings tighten and cheaper offshore products become tempting once again. Predict how these impacts will influence shopper behaviour this Christmas The ‘omnichannel’ buzzword is back. Omnichannel has been a prominent marketing term for a while. But 2020 has shone the spotlight on an omnichannel strategy and approach. With stores swinging back and forth between closed and open as restrictions have dictated their fate, a seamless transition in the shopper experience, from the high street to online, has gone from a nice-to-have to a crucial fundamental. The ABS cites ecommerce growth up 81 per cent YOY in August 2020, the highest on record (again). New users and new demographics have been driven to ecommerce out of necessity, and embraced it. With restrictions and nervousness around crowds, shoppers may do their window shopping online before they make their physical purchases in-store. Undoubtedly there will be a drift to and from both digital and physical shopping. Providing a user experience with a seamless transition is a crucial ingredient for success. Create an unforgettable store experience This Christmas more than ever, many shoppers will be desperate to experience the long-forbidden delights of retail again. Festive season gifting and retail are inextricably linked, and not even the pandemic can kill that. This year, store experience will be more valued and more exciting than in the past, but also more competitive, as physical stores compete with ecommerce and limited shoppers. Shopper planning will be essential We may also see a wide variety of shopper planning behaviour leading up to Christmas 2020. Last year a shift in consumers’ pre-shopping for the festive period was widely reported. In the crucial final days to Christmas Eve, retailers were under pressure to offer heavy discounts at a time when spending is usually strongest and bargains not typically offered. This was driven by preceding major online sales campaigns such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, where shoppers got in early to save their Christmas dollars. With belts even tighter this year, we may see this trend continue and be magnified. Put a solid strategy in place on how your business can ‘adopt, adapt and improve’ Adopt It’s important to adopt and develop strategies for providing a solid customer experience and path-to-purchase initiatives that your business is committed to optimising regularly in the lead-up to Christmas. We need to be agile in what we do, what we say and where we say it. With so many shifts in human behaviour, we need to be keenly aware of where our audience is at, physically and mentally. Given the economic environment, our path-to-purchase messaging will need to work harder than previously to close each sale. To do this you need to invest time in mapping out the right messages for each touch point, test them if you have the time, then optimise – this includes what the offer or incentive is in your message. Adapt Brands and retailers need to apply a can-do, ‘adapt to change’ mentality. Plan for more adaptation as the retail landscape evolves. Those brands and retailers that have prospered are the ones that have embraced the change and worked with it, and a lucky few have used it to their advantage. There are many great examples, including retailers such as 7-Eleven or boutique retail stores adapting their product range to include everyday essentials – not only keeping traffic coming through their doors, but making sure they stay open. Another example is premium ready-to- finish home-delivery company Providoo launching in the Melbourne market to allow the top restaurants to continue supplying their food. Improve With a deep understanding of shopper behaviour in the context of the impact of Covid-19, it’s now time to improve and optimise every part of your business. To ensure a successful Christmas, ask yourself: • Do you have the right product range and mix on your digital shelf versus physical shelf? For example, online shoppers prefer to buy a few things from one store than bits and pieces from a few, to minimise delivery fees and check-out process times. So, make sure you have some great check-out suggestions for mum or the kids, or a little special extra. • Is your delivery fee competitive and yet high enough to drive average weight of purchase? • Is your delivery time frame going to enable shoppers to make purchases right up to Christmas? • Do you have some exciting bundle offer that could tick the box of multiple gifts or just a little something extra for the shopper? • Keeping in mind that we’ve all missed retail therapy so impulse purchasing will be strong with the right product at the right price, do you have the right offers and incentives to pull those shoppers in? • Are you clear on what your unique and compelling store experience will be? Covid-19 may have changed shopping behavioural habits, but with an agile and well considered customer experience and path-to-purchase strategy for both your digital and physical store in place, the Grinch won’t be able to stop Christmas success for your business. References 1. abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/key-indicators 2. squareup.com/au/en/townsquare/seasonal-spend- report-2019 3. roymorgan.com/findings/8178-australian-made- country-of-origin-september-2019-201910280144 4. Australian Bureau of Statistics – Domestic Online Retail Sales (to Aug 2020) 5. getblix.com/daily-retail-foot-traffic-updates MARKETING About Georgia Bruton As one of the most respected shopper and retail marketing practitioners in the ANZ region, Georgia Bruton now leads Wunderman Thompson ANZ’s Shopper capabilities. Over the past two decades, Georgia has partnered with some of the most innovative marketers to help create memorable and highly effective retail and shopper campaigns. About Wunderman Thompson At Wunderman Thompson we exist to inspire growth for ambitious brands. Part creative agency, part consultancy and part technology company, our experts provide end-to-end capabilities at a global scale to deliver inspiration across the entire brand and customer experience. NOV, 2020 RETAIL WORLD 101