IAA Academy in Action: Marketing to customers

In part two of a 12-week programme, the IAA – and its category partner Camelot – help Londis retailer Pragna Patel improve how she markets to customers

Marketing to customers is about making shoppers you don’t know notice your store and attracting existing customers back more frequently. Retailers who do it well establish themselves as destinations for their local community and engage potential customers in a variety of ways with clear, concise messages.

Before benchmarking your shop this year, find out how Camelot’s Greg Deacon helped Pragna Patel create an action plan to reach more potential customers and make existing ones visit more frequently.

Pragna and husband Bhadresh’s Londis is located in the middle of a long residential street. It neighbours a Chinese takeaway and faces competition from other nearby convenience stores, but is tucked away from the nearest high street. Their busiest period is in the morning, because the store opens before any other in the area and draws shoppers buying breakfast on their way to work. How can the IAA help them bring more people in?

Why I take part

Bhadresh & Pragna say: Marketing to customers is important because we need to overcome the perception that our shop is expensive by shouting about our deals in the right way. Having the IAA and Camelot visit has been useful and having another pair of eyes look at our shop has given us a fresh perspective. We’ve now got a good plan to help us improve and I can’t wait to see the results.

IAA Advice for Bhadresh & Pragna

Pragna’s challenge: Communicating her offer to her target shoppers

Pragna makes use of leaflets to promote deals on individual products and communicates these to her shoppers with posters on her shop window. But is she communicating that she can offer shoppers everything they need?

Greg says: “Pragna offers great value through deals from her symbol group. Lots of people come in to buy breakfast on their way to work, and to buy alcohol in the evening, but there’s an opportunity to increase their spend. To drive sales Pragna should own the morning and evening with deals such as coffee and a croissant or beer and a pizza.”

Action: Create breakfast and evening meal deals and promote them clearly.

Pragna’s challenge: Attracting passers-by in-store

At the front of the shop, Pragna is planning to introduce a free-standing coffee machine to tempt people in, but what should she do with the rest of the space to appeal to customers that are walking past the shop?

Greg says: “A coffee machine is a great start, but there’s more that can be done. By clearing out slow-selling products near the door, Pragna can show passers-by her shop is a destination for breakfast and fresh which should increase footfall. And moving her bakery stand nearer to the door would create space for a gondola end to promote seasonal deals.”

Action: Dedicate the front of the shop to appealing to shoppers who want breakfast to go.

Pragna’s challenge: Making local people want to use her shop

Pragna and her husband have owned the shop for 11 years and are proud of it. Over the years advertising at the front has built up and key messages are getting lost. How can she simplify it?

Greg says: “Pragna’s shop windows promote many offers and services for their community, however this can be overwhelming for shoppers and adverts for higher value products like coffee are getting lost. Pragna needs to simplify her window display to emphasise her two key missions, the morning offer and evening meal deal to ensure she catches potential customers’ attention at key times.”

Action: Boost kerb appeal by tidying up the shop front and simplifying offers.

Partner advice

Greg Deacon, national sales manager, Camelot

“Pragna needs to own the morning and evening. Focusing her marketing will give her messaging space and drive spend. This will also enable the shop to market deals via a gondola end and continue with mark price value offers.”

Create your own shop report

Call us on 020 7689 0500 to see how you can take part in a future visit. Visit https://www.betterretailing.com/iaa/benchmark-your-store to create your own shop report.