MY-WARDROBE ASKS CAN LAUNCHING A LOYALTY PROGRAMME HELP SALES?

We have all seen the high street sales figures and reports of hundreds of stores closing.  We are currently trading through one of the toughest economic climates of our history. 

We are in a fortunate position to be in the online space, which is where the consumer focus in going, but we can’t rest on our laurels. A key factor in the decline of many high street retailers is the customer experience.  Online has revolutionised the customer experience with a new level of accessibility of global brands, speed of delivery and efficiency and that in turn has changed consumer expectations and with the recession added value is key.    

Whether you are an e-tailer or bricks on mortar retailer you have to focus on offering exceptional product, coupled with exceptional customer service that creates a memorable experience to drive loyalty.   As a luxury retailer you can’t compete on price, which is why we are about to launch our new loyalty programme.  Our my-loyalty programme lets shoppers earn loyalty points as they shop, which accrue into vouchers to spend on future shopping trips.   The innovation in mobile commerce presents high street retailers with a huge opportunity to further integrate their off line and online channels.   A number of leading retailers are now using QR codes to give customers the chance to find out more and the opportunity to purchase the product online and for us mobile is a key channel.  Since launching our mobile-adapted site, we have seen a significant uplift in both traffic and sales from mobile.  In fact, we have seen a 70 per cent YoY increase in traffic from mobile devices and it’s only going to grow.

The next twelve months is going to present an even more challenging economic environment, which is going to lead to a survival of the fittest.   I believe it going to be the savvier retailers that survive.  The ones that put the customer first, creating an improved customer experience, while looking at their shopping habits and creating a seamless, integrated multi-channel experience, are going to drive the retail market forward.   As retailers, whether that is online or bricks or mortar, we have the opportunity to shape and change the way consumer shop and that makes it a very exciting place to be.


Luisa De Paula, buying director at my-wardrobe.com x