Retailers need to‘engage online’ with customers in post-Christmas period | Industry News | TalkingRetail.com

Christmas may be over but bad weather is still affecting trade up and down the country and so retailers will need to work hard to engage with their customers via their ecommerce sites, claims retail experts at CTS Retail.

The snow has undoubtedly caused havoc for hundreds of retailers and at a time when they should be preparing for the mass queues of shoppers waiting to grab the array of post-Christmas bargains.

But with recent reports revealing that stores like HMV, Dixons and even more reliable performers like Marks& Spencer, Tesco and WH Smith were all facing slumps in sales, experts at software+services distributor CTS Retail are urging retailers to focus on their ecommerce operations to ensure they maximise sales during this difficult time.

“The cold snap is clearly going to be another thorn in the side of an already twitchy retailer as the impending VAT rise puts further pressure on to keep up sales, but the most important thing is to remain upbeat and look at what can be done.

“The weather can’t be changed and you can’t make your suppliers bring your deliveries any quicker. But you can ensure that your customers can reach you, engage with you and order/pre-order or reserve items for when they arrive or the weather improves,” said Scott Storey, managing director ofCTS Retail.

Storey’s comments mirrored a flurry of news items in recent months that report soaring online sales, and with less pressure to get parcels delivered in time for Christmas, he predicted more consumers than ever would dabble in the virtual retail experience rather than venture out into the cold.

“If you haven’t already got an ecommerce site then now would certainly be the time to consider how it could help you maintain custom during periods of bad weather.

“The modern customer demands a multi-channel shopping experience and even the smallest independent store must be visible online if they want to compete.

“It will be interesting to see which retailers fair well over this period, but my money is on those that have invested in a customer-centric multi-channel shopper experience,” he said.

Source: CTS Retail

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