THE FUTURE FOR NEW AUTOMOTIVE RETAILING

THE FUTURE FOR NEW AUTOMOTIVE RETAILING

With the advent of e-commerce, retailing has changed in the way we buy almost everything, even our cars.

Many people research major and even minor purchases on their home computers and make comparisons between different brands, before deciding to buy.

Generally, they have a preference in mind when they begin the research and are mostly attempting to reaffirm their thinking.

This is especially true with cars and the manufacturers websites give them the ability to specify and “build” their desired vehicle - with the hope that it will lead them to request a brochure - requiring them to give their contact information and to visit a dealership, arrange a test drive - and hopefully buy the vehicle.

However, there is a long way between the home computer and the showroom floor.

BRICKS AND MORTAR IN AN E-COMMERCE WORLD

BRICKS AND MORTAR IN AN E-COMMERCE WORLD

On Saturday, 19th May 2001, the “Bricks & Mortar” retail world changed forever - even if we didn’t know it back then.

On that date Apple opened its first stand alone store in Tyson’s Corner Shopping Mall in McLean, Virginia - near Washington D.C. They also opened a second store in the Glendale Galleries in Glendale, California, on that same day. Many believe that the stores were designed by Steve Jobs, but they weren’t - the stores were conceived by a Mr Ron Johnson.

Prior to Apple, Ron Johnson was the Vice President for Merchandising at Target Corporation. Steve Jobs hired him to develop the new stores for Apple, after he had instigated an innovative collaboration between American Architect, Michael Graves and Target in 1999, resulting in Graves designing “designer” kettles, toasters and small kitchen items - which transformed Target from

4 KEY ATTRIBUTES FOR ENGAGING WITH CUSTOMERS

4 KEY ATTRIBUTES FOR ENGAGING WITH CUSTOMERS

Customer Engagement.

Two words we are told should be forming the basis of a successful retail strategy, but rarely do the come with a disclaimer to explain how to put the concept of better engagement into practice.

The Four Attributes of Customer Engagement is perhaps the clearest outlining of how an organisation can become more engaged with its audience, basing itself on the fundamental active, emotional, rational and ethical qualities that determine an organisations’s brand value and how these factors can drive deeper engagement.

All organisations in the private and public sector connect with customers, most often through the work of the marketing, sales and customer service departments.

TOMORROW'S FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS & CAFES

TOMORROW'S FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS & CAFES

Its no surprise that the fast food industry is changing -

and in many ways this is as much due to the rapid advancement in technology and to the new general awareness of healthy eating and a public awareness of a more refined interior environment, because of the better quality commercial interiors that are currently being created..

The “cookie cutter ” traditional design of the restaurants has also given way to a more contemporary and environmentally friendly establishment that is more acceptable to adults as well as the young adult customers of today.

More plants and possibly live greenery where appropriate, will be incorporated into the designs that could introduce a feeling of wellbeing and calmness into the environment and more natural materials and finishes will be introduced into the design of the interior, stepping away from the loud colours and plastic finishes of the previous identities.

Lighting, which plays a pivotal role in any interior design will also be rethought, with the new lighting direction being more indirect and giving the feeling of exclusivity and calmness.