All I want for Christmas is… your email address

High street stores across the country are trying their best to pull shoppers in and avoid the complete takeover by online shopping. But have they got their strategies right?

Just last week, high street lingerie retailer La Senza announced that it had called in the experts for advice on its restructuring options. And many other high street names are facing similar challenges.

Judging by the festive window displays that now feature “50% off” signs and stores that resemble jumble sales, price reductions are a key focus for retailers in enticing shoppers back to their premises.

It appears to be working, too, but retailers aren’t done there. Many are attempting to make the most of the higher number of transactions coming through their tills by encouraging customers to sign for their mailing lists.

Short-term problems

This approach appears to be based on long term thinking – getting customers that may have only come in to buy a single gift signed up as a potential long term customer for 2012. But in reality, this is causing short term problems.

Asking rushed and hassled customers for a host of personal details as they attempt to hand over their money at the till is frustrating for the customer and also for the large queue of people that has inevitably formed behind them; reiterating one of the main reasons why people choose to avoid the high street at this time of year.

Long-term relationships

So, how can retailers make the most of the busy festive period and make sure that ‘holiday shoppers’ become long-term customers?

Getting people signed up to mailing lists is a clear winner; however, the way that people are encouraged to do this needs to be much simpler. Nobody wants to queue for 15 minutes only to waste time at the checkout spelling out their 26 character email address to a shop assistant that looks bored of asking.

Instead, there needs to be engagement from the staff in the stores. They’re clearly being told that they must ask customers for email addresses during each transaction, but are they being trained in how to ask?

If you are a retailer sending out emails, what is their content and what benefit do they offer the customer? Can these benefits be brought up in a conversation in place of the direct request for details at the tills?

For example “Did you see this dress on our email that went out this week? No? Are you signed up?” or “Do you have a discount voucher from our email that went out this week? No? Would you like to sign up so you get the next one?”

In other words, give them a reason why they should want to sign up.

Alternative solutions

There are other less intrusive ways for retailers to create long-term relationships with customers. Here are some examples:

1)      QR codes could be a great way for people to sign-up to a mailing list. Make them fun and creative with a strong call to action of the benefits of the emails you’ll be sending. They could even provide a welcome distraction for bored queuers.

2)      The January sales may have crept into December this year but January is still a key time for getting people into store. Rather than pressuring already stressed customers, why not give them a reason to come back in January that also encourages them to sign up to your mailing list? Discount vouchers where people must enter their email before they can use them are a great way of encouraging footfall back in the store.

3)      Don’t ask for email addresses at the till. The fun part of shopping is the browsing, not handing over money after a boring wait in a queue, so why not have a member of staff wandering round with an iPad? Customers can then sign up when their thoughts are not focussed on getting out of the shop as quickly as possible.

4)      It’s not just about email; your social media channels are another great way of keeping customers engaged after they’ve left the store. Make sure that links to your Facebook and Twitter pages (and any other social channels you use) are clearly displayed in store and at the till. Plus, outline exactly what people can expect if they ‘like’ or follow you.

At a time when it’s more important than ever to get people into your store, it’s important to ensure your need to increase sales and footfall doesn’t end up causing problems that could drive shoppers to their laptop.

Nicola Peate, social media manager, Rippleffect