What retail consumers really want
The retail landscape is changing for various reasons, such as high streets competing with online sales. There is no doubt that a retail business needs to be 100% on board when it comes to new technologies. Tracking data, and targeting potential customers online, is the key to success. Right now, it seems. Websites and SEO are often taught as the main tool for your business.
However, when it comes to public opinion, it's possibly the most important thing to get right. If you end up with a PR disaster because you didn't realise what it is precisely your customers want. And you didn't put in the effort with customer service. Then you might end up with a big problem on your hands. So how do we know exactly what consumers want? And how do we translate that?
Technology and data
Data used to be very easy to get hold of, but not always the most accurate when it came down to the details. Now due to data protection laws, we have to get it right, and holding and manipulating data, as well as reporting from it, is an incredibly useful tool. Seeing customer trends, and where customers are shopping and precisely what is needed, without having to ask the customer directly, is a fantastic tool. Of course, using this information to advertise directly to customers is the method most business owners are using.
PR management
Working out precisely what the public thinks about your business, what their expectations are, and how mishaps have been dealt with in the past. All adds up to become a brand identity, and customers will remember quite well if they receive some negative feedback or customer service.
PR management can be beneficial in as much as gaining ideas about precisely what consumers want from your business. Successfully gaining this knowledge and using it to your advantage/ the business’s advantage is a PR agency skill that should be spoken about in more detail. It's not always as exciting as it sounds, but you can rest assured there, then there's plenty of eyes checking what you're doing.
Feedback
Customers can be pretty vocal when it comes to their likes and dislikes. They will tend to let you know precisely what they are happy with the food as it happens. This is an excellent opportunity to find out exactly what they want to change, and which ways that you can gain more customers in the future. Regular pop up incentives for people to fill out reviews on review sites is one way to find out exactly what customers want and need.
When everything is gathered, and the data you need manipulating into charts that are useful too. Listen carefully to the information you're being given, because it's not always as easy as it seems when it comes to working out what retail consumers actually want and need. Sometimes though, the consumer does decide not to use certain props or additions. It all depends on whether you want to do everything yourself, or outsource.