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Vol. 15, No. 1, January 1997 |
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 Printer Friendly Version |
| CONSUMERS DEMAND PLEASANT EXPERIENCE WHEN SHOPPING |
Interview for “Counterman”
For today’s Automotive Parts Specialist
From the Dual Market Strategies Series
by Vicky Poulsen
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If today's jobber wants to increase and maintain his current stream of walk-in trade, he must take a long, hard look at what his store has to offer to today's finicky customer.
To understand the profound effect today's mass retailer has had on the traditional jobber, let's briefly reflect on the way business used to be at many traditional parts stores.
Historically, a store's interior was not a priority item. Available inventory and hot-shot delivery were the two most important services a jobber could offer to his bread and butter customer the professional installer.
When the mass retailers emerged with their squeaky-clean environments, many jobbers saw a new market emerging and realized it was time to clean up the counters, store fronts and take down the girlie calendars.
The traditional jobber began leaning to play the mass retailer's game and began enjoying a comfortable DlYer base. But as DIY business began to decline, trailers began picking away at the jobber's professional installer customer base.
Today, many jobbers have found themselves fighting for a greater Dryer market share while trying to hold on to their traditional installer customers.
Because of consolidations within his marketplace coupled, with a basic need to survive, the once-traditional jobber must service two masters the installer and the DIYer.
But there is a way to make both of these customers happy slid it is not as painful or costly as you may think.
As president/owner of Automotive In Store Marketing, Inc., Stephen Alexander should be considered a guru in automotive store merchandising and in-store and exterior design. His company does everything when it comes to in store merchandising - whether it be floor plan design, signage or consumer shopping research.
Alexander says it's important for today's jobber to note the DIY customer he gets at his store may be different from tire one that visits the local mass retailer.
"The jobber's DIYer or cash customer is made up of two segments - the shadetree mechanic and the typical DIYer that would go to a Western Auto or Chief," explains Alexander.
So what can a jobber do to make his store more attractive to his 'cash" customers? According to Alexander, the solution is often simple and requires just a little common sense. Alexander offers the following steps for achieving greater merchandising and marketing retail power:
- Organize the store into logical groups of products by departments. Put together products related to a sale which is defined as a 'systems sale' the material and components necessary to do a job or task.
- Clean up the store and make it shine. Make the lighting bright.
- Put in clean, easy to-read, attractive signage and communications that answer the fundamental question that every shopper subconsciously has when he or she walks in your front door - what's here and where is it?
- Require that store personnel be dressed in a neat fashion with a theme, something that looks similar.
- the store should immediately present the image that these are people who have open advice and they're here to help.
- Interact with your customer. You can't just stand at the counter and yell out "what ya need? It's over there." Get out and interact with the customer and serve the customer.
- Pay attention to the product on the shelf if there's empty space, tighten it up.
- Clean up the dirt and dust the shelves.
- Arrange your store so you make the shopping process as painless and enjoyable as possible. Since they'd rather spend their time somewhere else why not make it more pleasurable. Today's consumers expect you'll have fair price and a presentable environment.
- Invite customers to browse and stay for a while.
Alexander has developed Automotive Learning Centers of America which is a teaching or teaming center available within the store.
These learning centers are equipped with a television, VCR and educational CD-based computer systems.
Organization, graphics, signage, and clarity in your store are 85 to 90 percent of the elements that are part of the solution, according to Alexander.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER. 'We use our check out counters so inefficiently,' says Alexander. 'By and large we merge them together with our parts counters.' Alexander notes that he hates to use the term “parts counter” for the most important location of a store. His or updated term for the parts counter is the “parts center.”
“If you can separate your check out physically from the parts center, or at least have a single place where customers can go to make their payment, you can use that area to put all kinds of impulse merchandise opportunities to increase the sale”, Alexander further explains.
Alexander says he did a study and found on average 66 percent of all customers who were presented orally with an additional item by an in-store person will make a purchase on that trip.
NO SECRETS. So how can a jobber make a merchandise presentation that doesn't interfere with his ability to service his professional customer and at the same time present a better product perspective to the walk in customer?
According to Alexander, a not-so-widely-accepted but successful solution is to get rid of the “back room.”
“Open up the whole store and have everything on view,” says Alexander. “Can you imagine walking into a hardware store and have 1500 other feet to stand in and everything else is behind a wall?”
Alexander says oftentimes jobbers will scoff at his solution because they believe many of these produces don't lend themselves to attractive displays because of their ugly packaging.
“The solution is to take the product out of the box or take one item out of the box,” Alexander says.
Alexander says he likes to create “product sectors” throughout a store. “For a product sector called, 'brake systems’, I'll wire items like a drum, calipers and so forth to a pegboard along with a shelf containing bottles of chemicals related to those parts,” Alexander explains. “I have little labels that I've printed up right next to the items telling them what they are. Now you have a brake center,” he adds.
For those occasions where a jobber must bulk stack his merchandise, Alexander says it's important to give the impression that the store has a lot of it. And if the store is featuring a case sale, Alexander advises jobbers to use a computer-generated, framed sign next to the product that states that it is a 'special case offers" As the cases are removed, replace them.
DOLLARS AND SENSE. A little common sense in product placement costs very little and can generate huge dollars in the long run.
However, jobbers still need to be aggressive when it comes to getting help or co-op dollars from their suppliers.
And once they get the financial help, Alexander says jobbers should take full advantage of it. "They need to know how to use the co op and how to effectively tic it in once they come in the store, adds Alexander.
If a jobber is part of a program group, Alexander says jobbers should take advantage of all the marketing help that's available to them.
"If fliers are produced and mailings are done for him, at least he could do is properly display those mailers and a copy of the ad inside the store," says Alexander.
Suppliers are also a good source of promotional programs and all it takes is a few minutes to put up a small display or sign with a product.
Alexander says jobbers need to take many of these programs one step further.
"They have the ability in their area to gear their market and promotions to their market-place," says Alexander. "They can get involved with community marketing that no chain can do. "
"They've been their neighbors for years and live in their territory, so no one knows their community like they do," he adds. I say look within your trading area and ask what you can do to make them feet like you are truly their neighborhood auto parts store."
Alexander says one of the things that's lacking on the jobber level is local onsite market research whereby jobbers are identifying their customer base and the motivating and buying factors behind their purchases.
"I believe that's one of the next major steps that a jobber needs to do is to arm himself with information that will allow him to separate perception from reality, " says Alexander. "Knowledge equals profits - that a what it's all about."
"You must talk to your customers and find out why they're going elsewhere and what you need to do so they come in,” he adds.
"It's amazing what a jobber can find out.”
Stephen J. Alexander is an aftermarket consultant, speaker, and author. To learn more about other in-store merchandising and marketing issues, contact Stephen Alexander, Automotive In-Store Marketing at 239-395-9203 or e-mail him at salexander@autoinstore.com.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:"Reprinted with permission from Counterman, January, 1997, page 6. Copyright by Babcox Publications. Babcox Publications. retains all rights to this material." To subscribe to Counterman, call 1-330 535-6117, extension 253 or visit www.counterman.com.
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